The only form of asbestos still imported into the United States may soon be entirely prohibited.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced that it is soon to officially propose banning the importation and use of chrysotile asbestos, which it earlier determined presents an “unreasonable health risk” to those who come in contact with it.
In a statement, the agency noted that its action represents the “first-ever risk management rule issued under the new process for evaluating and addressing the safety of existing chemicals under the Toxic Substances Control Act,” which was passed in 2016.
If enacted, the prohibition will apply to the importation of chrysotile asbestos, as well as its domestic manufacture, distribution, and any commercial use.
Chrysotile asbestos, more commonly known as white asbestos, has been widely used in the construction of floors, walls, ceilings, and roofs.
According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, chrysotile asbestos been proven to cause cancer of the lung, cancer of the larynx, and certain gastrointestinal cancers, among other dangers.
While the proposed EPA ban has won applause in the health community, business leaders are currently less enthusiastic. In a statement, Marty Durbin, president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Energy Institute, said the ban could have “unintended consequences on safe drinking water and our already-precarious supply chain of consumer products.”
Durbin added the asbestos is used in the “production of chlorine which is critical to treating drinking water and in the manufacturing of many pharmaceutical, bleach, and medical goods.”
EPA Administrator Michael Regan, however, said the proposed ban will protect the American people from “a known carcinogen, and demonstrates significant progress in our work to implement the Toxic Substances Control Act law and take bold, long-overdue actions to protect those most vulnerable among us.”
The EPA will be accepting public comments on its proposed chrysotile asbestos ban until early June.
By Garry Boulard
