EPA Implements Stricter Regulations for Asbestos Industry

Asbestos manufacturers and processors are now subject to heightened regulations following completion of the final reporting rule under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Toxic Substances Control Act. On July 6, the EPA mandated reporting and record-keeping obligations for companies that manufacture, import or process asbestos and asbestos-containing products. “We know that exposure to asbestos causes cancer and other serious health problems that still result in thousands of people dying every year, and today we’re continuing our work to protect people from this dangerous chemical,” said Michal Freedhoff, the EPA’s assistant administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, in a statement.  “We’ve already proposed to ban chrysotile asbestos, and the data we’ll receive from this final rule will help us to better evaluate and address the health risks from the remaining uses and types of asbestos,” he added. Data Due to EPA in Early 2024 Manufacturers and processors who dealt with asbestos from 2019 to 2022 and had annual sales over $500,000 in any of those years must report asbestos-related data, including amounts processed, usage types and employee information. This rule also applies to asbestos-containing products and asbestos within mixtures. Affected companies have nine months from the final rule to gather and submit the data to the EPA. The types of asbestos include: Actinolite...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Source Type: news