FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 17, 2024
WASHINGTON, DC — The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an independent nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure through education, advocacy, and community work, has filed a motion asking the Fifth Circuit to reconsider its hasty order allowing the Alliance of Auto Innovators (AAI), a trade group representing the nation’s auto manufacturers, to file an unprecedented and deeply troubling amicus brief seeking to invalidate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Part 1 Chrysotile Asbestos Rule.
In their motion, ADAO and its16 co-petitioners demonstrated that the AAI amicus brief departs from established precedent by raising issues far outside the scope of the arguments of the existing parties.
“By introducing discredited science, unfounded criticisms of the peer review process, and false accusations, the Alliance for Automotive Innovation is following a familiar playbook — lie, deny, and create doubt — tactics we’ve seen repeatedly used to divert attention from the real issue: the undeniable, deadly health risks of asbestos,” said Linda Reinstein, president and co-founder of ADAO.
“There is nearly a century of evidence confirming that asbestos causes immense suffering and deaths. Time and again, industry attempts to undermine scientific consensus and discredit experts in order to protect its own interests. This fight is about safeguarding public health, and we will not allow these baseless claims to derail our push for a full asbestos ban,” she concluded.
“This is a strong basis for rejecting the brief,” said Bob Sussman, former senior EPA official and counsel for ADAO and its co-petitioners. “The proper role of an amicus is to help the Court understand the issues the parties have put before it, not to hijack and expand the case by creating new issues that the industry petitioners have chosen not to pursue.
“Unfortunately, the court acted hastily in accepting the Alliance’s brief before the deadline for ADAO and its co-petitioners to respond. We are asking the Court to reconsider its decision and reject the brief as an unjustified departure from the established role of an amicus curiae.” he finished.
For more details on ADAO’s motion to reconsider, please review the motion.
