EPA Proposes Asbestos Ban on Chrysotile

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a potentially historic ban April 5 that would prohibit all current uses of chrysotile asbestos. Chrysotile is the only known type of asbestos still being imported into the country today. The EPA asbestos ban would prohibit the ongoing importation of raw asbestos along with the manufacturing, processing, distribution and commercial use of products containing chrysotile asbestos. It is being proposed under the Toxic Substances Control Act, which was amended in 2016 and designed to address the safety of existing chemicals. Asbestos is still used in the U.S. today in products such as diaphragms, sheet gaskets, oil-field brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes and linings, and other vehicle friction products. “We’re taking an important step forward to protect public health and finally put an end to the use of dangerous asbestos in the United States,” said Michael Regan, EPA administrator. EPA Asbestos Ban Would Impact Chloralkali Industry All raw asbestos imported by the U.S. today – an estimated 300 metric tons in 2020 – is used by the chloralkali industry, which will be hurt the most financially by the proposal. It uses asbestos in the manufacturing of semipermeable diaphragms for making chlorine. The American Chemistry Council, a lobbying group for the chemical industry, blasted the EPA’s proposed ban of asbestos in a statement this week, insisting it would reduce the domestic supply of chlo...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos (general) Source Type: news