It’s time for the EPA to ban asbestos once and for all (opinion)

Editor’s Note: Linda Reinstein is the President and CEO of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, which seeks to eliminate asbestos-caused diseases and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. Linda Reinstein Chris Miller The EPA attempted to ban asbestos in 1989 but was sued by Corrosion Proof Fittings – a company that used asbestos in their products. They recently posted a photo of tons of raw asbestos wrapped and ready to export with a seal of approval that read: “Approved by Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States.” Given this reality, I am hardly surprised that Trump’s EPA is on the brink of giving up this historic opportunity to ban asbestos. One staffer, writing to his colleagues, noted, “The new approach raises significant concerns about the potential health impacts.” Even worse, without a ban, the EPA will continue to allow imports of both raw asbestos and contaminated products – including crayons and makeup for kids – letting the millions of tons of asbestos already threatening our health only continue to build up. As an EPA attorney recently noted in an email discussing the Trump administration’s change of plans, “Asbestos is an extremely dangerous substance with no safe exposure amount.” That’s why when it comes to ending the deadly asbestos trade in America, nothing short of an exemption-free ban on imports will suffice.