Posted on November 13, 2017
Linda with Sen. Jeff Merkley
Since the inception of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), Congressional champions have been instrumental to our work. Last week, a new group of leaders in the U.S. Senate stepped forward and introduced the bill S. 2072 The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2017 (ARBAN).
If passed, this act would require the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, distribution, and disposal of asbestos within 18 months. This would significantly expedite the EPA’s current 5-7 year timeline to complete its ongoing asbestos evaluation and regulation process under the Toxic Substances Act.
“It’s outrageous that in the year 2017, asbestos is still allowed in the United States,” said bill sponsor Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon. “It’s time for us to catch up to the rest of the developed world, and ban this dangerous public health threat once and for all.”
Bill S. 2072 builds on the momentum we have felt since the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act (LSCA) was passed and signed into law last year by President Obama. LSCA gave the EPA the authority to enact a ban on imports and future use of asbestos, but it also gives the Agency as long as 7 years to assess and regulate asbestos. While LCSA is a landmark step forward, ARBAN will ensure the EPA can expeditiously ban asbestos in a fraction of the time.
Moreover, since LCSA’s passage and the EPA’s subsequent prioritization of asbestos as a top ten chemical, staffing changes and preliminary evaluation documents have sparked concerns that the EPA is poised to make dangerous exemptions and exclusions in any forthcoming asbestos regulation.
As asbestos victims, we know better than anyone that Americans can not afford to wait 5-7 more years to end the man-made asbestos disaster. ARBAN is a common-sense safety measure that should have universal support from both sides of the aisle. As it stands, we have strong support from the Democratic contingency, but we’re still vying for some Republicans to come onboard with this effort.
We need your help in urging your senators to join Senator Merkley and the seven original cosponsors in supporting The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2017 (ARBAN)!
Call your Senators today and share your story to let them know why it is so important to you that they sign on in support of this lifesaving bill. It’s easy — just dial the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 to speak with your U.S. Senators (you’ll be making two separate calls to reach each of your Senator’s offices). Ask to speak with the staffers who handle health and environmental issues, and tell them about how asbestos has affected your life and how important their sponsorship of this bill is. ADAO had informational fliers hand-delivered to the offices of every Senator not yet signed on as a cosponsor, so you can reference this helpful document when you call.
While you’re helping us garner support, we also encourage you to hop on social media to thank those senators who have signed on: Cory Booker (D-NJ), Dick Durbin (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Jon Tester (D-MT), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).
We owe our deepest gratitude to these Senate leaders. We are also grateful to the early supporters helping us to move this bill forward:American Public Health Association (APHA), Center for Asbestos Related Disease (CARD), Libby, MT, Environmental Information Association (EIA), Environmental Working Group (EWG), Global Ban Asbestos Network (GBAN), Less Cancer, Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), and Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families (SCHF), and internationally, Associação Brasileira dos Expostos ao Amianto (ABREA). See what our allies and supporters have to say about ARBAN at the bottom of this blog.
We are closer than ever to an asbestos ban — together, and with the help of Congressional champions and organizational allies, we WILL make this ban a reality.
Linda
ADAO Advocates and Allies React to ARBAN:
“Oregon’s Senator Merkley is demonstrating true leadership by introducing the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2017. I am the daughter of a mesothelioma victim, this life-saving legislation will absolutely prevent suffering and loss in the future. As a constituent of Senator Merkley’s and an ADAO volunteer, I am incredibly proud of our advocacy work, and of my very own US Senator.” – Ann Samuelson
“The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2017 is a critical step forward in Public Health that will reduce and eventually eliminate all of the preventable asbestos-disease related deaths that now occur in the United States. Since the United States is one of the few economically developed Countries of the World that has not already taken the step to ban asbestos this Bill will be a giant step forward.” – Dr. Richard Lemen
“This bill, which honors a remarkable man and a remarkable family, addresses a significant public health issue in the United States. With some 60 countries, and now all industrialized countries, banning any use of asbestos, we can in some small way regain leadership in the world by joining in the banning of this deadly substance for which no continuing use is justified.” – Dr. Arthur Frank
“We are sure that the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2017 will not be limited to USA but will serve the inspiration and motivation to other countries of the planet to follow the example protecting the human beings from one of the most harmful known industrial carcinogen raw material. Asbestos was named the “the major public health catastrophe of the 20th Century.” – Fernanda Giannasi
“Since my work for a ban against asbestos the phrase I hear most often is, “Asbestos isn’t banned? How can that be possible?” If you proposed a ban against murder it would get the same reaction. But this is a form of murder. Asbestos is a silent, deadly killer and we are well beyond the time to commit this criminal element to permanent exile.” – Jordan Zevon
“It is imperative that we ban the manufacturing and use of asbestos protect the lives of the American people. After watching my father die from a preventable disease, my wish is for both sides of the aisle to come together and ban this carcinogen for good.”- Emily Reinstein
“If US citizens could see the slow painful suffocating preventable deaths that I see every day as a thoracic surgeon they would unanimously vote to ban asbestos today. When it comes to eliminating asbestos deaths the pen is more powerful than the knife. Whoever is not in favor of banning asbestos either has money to gain or a lot of money to lose by keeping things as is. It’s that simple!” – Dr. Raja Flores
“The US should catch up to Croatia and ban asbestos, to halt the import of deadly asbestos products no longer made here. These imports include asbestos brake pads and gaskets that compete against safer products made in the USA.” – Dr. Barry Castleman
“From Libby, Montana to across the USA, it is well past time to protect our citizens from ongoing exposure to the disabling and deadly asbestos containing materials!” – Dr. Brad Black
“Please ban asbestos so others do not have to lose their Dads like I lost mine. You have the power to protect us all. Please use that power responsibly.”- Domani Tripam
“Unfortunately, Alan didn’t live long enough to see the introduction to this act because he died for it!” – Herman Hamilton
“ARBAN is OUR BAN, a bill to protect all of us from carcinogenic asbestos and will save lives. BAN ASBESTOS, once and for all.” – Tony Rich
“15,000 Americans die from asbestos every year. Enough.” – John Newquist
“It is imperative that all imports, exports and use of asbestos are banned.” – Christine Winter (UK)
“The ban on asbestos usage is a non-negotiable issue, and is an ethical and moral responsibility of national government. The effects of the use of asbestos in South Africa remains an issue 17 years following its ban in 2000. Workers, the public and children are exposed daily by poorly maintained or poor construction methods. It should be a constitutional right to enjoy health and well being in any country. The United States of America should be a leading light in this regard.” – Dr. Claire Deacon (SA)
“Banning the importation and use of the known carcinogen asbestos is an extremely important step to protect our working people and the public. We already know of the human cost asbestos disease has caused, let make sure that we can further limit this harm with the long needed ban of asbestos in the United States. We can only hope that our elected leaders will provide the leadership and have the personal fortitude to back and support The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2017.” – Tom Laubenthal
“The United States should be using its place in the world to lead the world in banning all asbestos. Asbestos kills, that is a fact. For the United States to be leading the world in promoting a carcinogen, by taking the stance that it is at present, does not paint the U.S. in a very good light. Please support this Bill.” – David Trigg (UK)