The Biden administration has finalized a ban on chrysotile asbestos after three decades of failed attempts to stop use of all forms of the deadly mineral.
This carcinogen has long been used in insulation, appliances and brake pads in the United States, but has been banned in more than 50 countries due to its carcinogenic effects.
Chrysotile asbestos is linked to more than 40,000 deaths each year in the United States and, although it has begun to be phased out, it is still used in water filtration and by the automobile and fuel industries.
Importation is now banned as of Monday and the EPA has set deadlines for facilities to stop using the toxic mineral altogether.
The Biden administration banned chrysotile asbestos after three decades of failed attempts to completely ban the deadly mineral.
The EPA first attempted to ban asbestos in 1989, but its decision was overturned in 1991.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) attempted to completely ban the cancer-causing mineral in 1989, but it was blocked by a federal judge and remained the last of six forms still used in the United States.
Monday’s ban is part of the new Toxic Substances Control Act that received a near-unanimous vote from the U.S. House and Senate.
“Asbestos has harmed people across the country for decades, and under President Biden’s leadership, we are taking decisive action to ban its use and advance this administration’s historic environmental justice agenda,” said Brenda Mallory , chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality.
“This action marks a major step to improve chemical safety after decades of inadequate protections, helping advance President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot goal to end cancer as we know it.”
When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, they release fibers into the air and, when inhaled, can cause serious illness and cancer.
This now-banned carcinogen has been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal cancer that forms in the throat.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the lung, chest, abdomen and heart and eventually becomes fatal when a person’s lungs stop working well enough to continue oxygenating their blood.
Asbestos kills 40,000 people in the United States each year and causes mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and lung cancer.
Chrysotile asbestos is the only form of the mineral to be imported, processed, and distributed in the United States, with the last known import being brought by the chlor-alkali industry in 2022.
The main products of the chlor-alkali industry include chlorine, sodium hydroxide and potassium carbonate, all of which are used for water filtration, according to the US Department of Energy.
In 2022, the American Chemistry Board had asked the EPA to give them 15 years to phase out the use of asbestos.
The organization claimed that eliminating asbestos used to treat drinking water “would cause substantial harm to the United States’ drinking water supply and unwarranted alarm to products in the marketplace that are essential to ongoing climate, sustainability and infrastructure projects.”
Companies have five years to abate the first installation and up to 12 years to abate all installations.
The EPA reportedly took this request into consideration when setting deadlines for facilities to completely eliminate asbestos use and exposure.
Companies that use asbestos-containing diaphragms and those that need to convert multiple installations have five years to do so for the first installation, while they have eight years to convert the second and 12 years to convert the third.
Asbestos-containing brakes have been imported for a long time and auto mechanics exposed to the deadly airborne fibers will be phased out within six months and after two years asbestos seals will be banned.
“Today’s rule is a positive first step toward giving all Americans a future free of exposure to asbestos – a carcinogen that has killed far too many people,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-D. Oregon).
“…An immediate ban on the importation of chrysotile asbestos for the chlor-alkali industry is a long-awaited step forward for public health,” he added.
When the EPA’s asbestos ban was overturned in 1991, it weakened its authority to address chemical risks posed to public health under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).
Asbestos use began to decline when its toxicity and deadly effects became more widely known, but it continued to be used to disinfect drinking water and wastewater and is used in oil and gas drilling.
“It is long past time that the United States banned asbestos, and it is unacceptable that this known carcinogen continues to threaten Americans and devastate their families,” said Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR).
“I have spent years advocating for a ban on asbestos and I am grateful for the steps EPA is taking today to finalize its rule banning the importation and use of chrysotile asbestos. » Banning asbestos will save lives.
Dailymail.com has contacted the EPA for comment.