WASHINGTON (NEWSnet/AP) — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday announced a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen still used in some products and that kills thousands each year.
The rule marks a major expansion of EPA regulation under a 2016 law that overhauled regulations governing toxic chemicals in everyday products.
The new rule forbids chrysotile asbestos, the only ongoing use of asbestos in the United States. The substance is found in products such as brake linings and gaskets and is used to manufacture chlorine bleach and sodium hydroxide
EPA Administrator Michael Regan called the final rule a major step to protect public health.
“With today’s ban, EPA is finally slamming the door on a chemical so dangerous that it has been banned in over 50 countries,’' Regan said. “The science is clear: Asbestos is a known carcinogen that has severe impacts on public health. This action is just the beginning as we work to protect all American families, workers and communities from toxic chemicals.”
EPA banned asbestos in 1989, but the rule was partly overturned by a 1991 court decision that reduced the agency’s authority under Toxic Substances Control Act to address risk to human health from asbestos and other existing chemicals.
Asbestos, at one time common in home insulation, is banned in more than 50 countries, and its use in the U.S. has been declining for decades.
Most consumer products that historically contained chrysotile asbestos have been discontinued.
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