Congress Resumes Asbestos Ban Efforts After ProPublica Report

This report confirms our worst fears. Workers dealing with asbestos are often left vulnerable to this deadly, dangerous substance.” Merkley and U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, also of Oregon, are co-sponsoring the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2022, which would ban any importation or use of asbestos. It is the most comprehensive asbestos ban legislation to come before Congress in more than 30 years. All previous legislative attempts have failed to advance. Ban Asbestos Now Act Gains Co-Sponsors This latest bill was filed in May and had one Senate committee hearing in June before it was shelved. Since the publication of ProPublica’s article in October, three more members of Congress have signed on as co-sponsors. They are U.S. Representatives Chellie Pingree of Maine, Adriano Espaillat of New York and Eleanor Holmes Norton of the District of Columbia. Proponents of the ban are hopeful it will be addressed in the next legislative session. After the report last month, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization – America’s most aggressive, independent asbestos awareness organization – sent letters to every member of Congress highlighting the ProPublica findings and calling for their support of a ban. Exposure to asbestos, which is highly regulated but still being used today, can cause a variety of serious health issues, including asbestosis, lung cancer and malignant mesothelioma. Linda Reinstein is co-founder, president and CEO of ADAO. The legi...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma Source Type: news