WASHINGTON — The Environmental Safety Company on Monday introduced a complete ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that’s nonetheless utilized in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and different merchandise and that kills tens of 1000’s of People yearly.
The ultimate rule marks a significant growth of EPA regulation below a landmark 2016 law that overhauled rules governing tens of 1000’s of poisonous chemical compounds in on a regular basis merchandise, from family cleaners to clothes and furnishings.
The brand new rule would ban chrysotile asbestos, the one ongoing use of asbestos in the USA. The substance is present in merchandise corresponding to brake linings and gaskets and is used to fabricate chlorine bleach and sodium hydroxide, often known as caustic soda.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan referred to as the ultimate rule a significant step to guard public well being.
“With in the present day’s ban, EPA is lastly slamming the door on a chemical so harmful that has been banned in over 50 international locations,” Regan stated. ”This historic ban is greater than 30 years within the making, and it’s because of amendments that Congress made in 2016 to repair the Poisonous Substance Management Act,” the primary U.S. regulation governing use of chemical compounds.
Publicity to asbestos is thought to trigger lung most cancers, mesothelioma and different cancers, and it’s linked to greater than 40,000 deaths within the U.S. every year. Ending the continued makes use of of asbestos advances the targets of President Joe Biden’s Most cancers Moonshot, a whole-of-government initiative to finish most cancers within the U.S., Regan stated.
“The science is evident: Asbestos is a recognized carcinogen that has extreme impacts on public well being. This motion is only the start as we work to guard all American households, employees and communities from poisonous chemical compounds,” Regan stated.
The 2016 regulation licensed new guidelines for tens of 1000’s of poisonous chemical compounds present in on a regular basis merchandise, together with substances corresponding to asbestos and trichloroethylene that for many years have been recognized to trigger most cancers but had been largely unregulated below federal regulation. Generally known as the Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, the regulation was meant to clear up a hodgepodge of state guidelines governing chemical compounds and replace the Poisonous Substances Management Act, a 1976 regulation that had remained unchanged for 40 years.
The EPA banned asbestos in 1989, however the rule was largely overturned by a 1991 court docket resolution that weakened the EPA’s authority below TSCA to deal with dangers to human well being from asbestos or different present chemical compounds. The 2016 regulation required the EPA to guage chemical compounds and put in place protections in opposition to unreasonable dangers.
Asbestos, which was as soon as frequent in house insulation and different merchandise, is banned in additional than 50 international locations, and its use within the U.S. has been declining for many years. The one type of asbestos recognized to be at present imported, processed or distributed to be used within the U.S. is chrysotile asbestos, which is imported primarily from Brazil and Russia. It’s utilized by the chlor-alkali trade, which produces bleach, caustic soda and different merchandise.
Most client merchandise that traditionally contained chrysotile asbestos have been discontinued.
Whereas chlorine is a generally used disinfectant in water remedy, there are solely 10 chlor-alkali crops within the U.S. that also use asbestos diaphragms to supply chlorine and sodium hydroxide. The crops are largely positioned in Louisiana and Texas.
The usage of asbestos diaphragms has been declining and now accounts for about one-third of the chlor-alkali manufacturing within the U.S., the EPA stated.
— Matthew Daly
