Labor DayPosted on September 5, 2016

Before you light your Labor Day BBQ and enjoy a day of rest, I encourage you to take a minute to reflect on workers’ sacrifices and achievements. Tragically, asbestos-caused diseases remain a leading workplace killer.

Although asbestos consumption in the US continue to decline from 1973’s record high of 803,000 metric tons, imports and deaths continue. It is reprehensible that our country continues to allow asbestos to cross our borders to meet so-called “manufacturing needs.”

According to the World Health Organization:

  • About 125 million people in the world are exposed to asbestos at the workplace.
  • More than 107 000 people die each year from asbestos-related lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis resulting from occupational exposures.
  • Exposure to asbestos, including chrysotile, causes cancer of the lung, larynx and ovary, mesothelioma (a cancer of the pleural and peritoneal linings) and asbestosis (fibrosis of the lungs).
  • One in three deaths from occupational cancer is caused by asbestos.

Asbestos Kills -- Labor Day CANVA (1)We invite you to light a candle with us in memory of workers who have lost their lives due to asbestos-related diseases and in support of courageous Mesothelioma Warriors who were exposed to asbestos in the workplace and from take-home exposure. Like so many others, my late husband Alan paid the ultimate price for his job–his life.

But there is good news for the future of American laborers and the public: We have never been closer to banning asbestos. Thanks to our incredible community of donors, volunteers, and supporters, ADAO has been able to stay on the front lines of legislative reform, helping to draft and pass a new law that empowers the EPA to take federal regulatory action against asbestos. Now, we’re keeping the pressure high to ensure the Agency uses this new power to finally put stop to the import, processing, and distribution of the deadly material.

Watch for more updates and news from our 10th Congressional Staff Briefing on September 13, 2016.

As we say–together, change is possible.