For Immediate Release: September 5, 2018
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization Details its Plans for Mesothelioma Awareness Month
Activities Confirm the Continued Push for the EPA to Recognize Asbestos as Lethal and the Need for a Ban, and the Administration’s Continued Deadly Courtship with the Asbestos Industry
Washington, DC —September 5, 2018—The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an independent nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure through education, advocacy, and community work; today announced that it is once again participating in Mesothelioma Awareness Month this September. During this important month, ADAO’s community will honor and remember Mesothelioma Warriors with a number of events and actions including: The Miles for Meso Race, ADAO’s 13th Congressional Staff Briefing, flying a flag over Capitol Hill in honor and remembrance of asbestos victims, and more. 
ADAO President and CEO, Linda Reinstein, outlined the importance of this month: “Each year nearly 40,000 Americans die from asbestos-related diseases, yet imports and use continue. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been tip toeing around enacting an asbestos ban in the U.S. even though asbestos is a known carcinogen that is legal and lethal.
“It is a stark reminder as we begin Mesothelioma Awareness Month, that asbestos importers and users continue to lobby Congress and allow this man-made disaster to endure. It is unconscionable to know that yesterday, the Senate Judiciary Committee began its hearing for President Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, Brett Kavanaugh, which, if confirmed could drastically shift the direction of our country as Kavanaugh is staunchly anti-environment.
“President Trump and the EPA, who have close ties to the chemical industry, have defended the ongoing deadly imports and use of asbestos. Russia’s Uralasbest company, one of the largest asbestos producers, posted photos on its Facebook page of pallets of chrysotile asbestos wrapped in plastic with Trump’s image at the center of a large red seal stating: APPROVED BY DONALD TRUMP, 45TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
“For the second year in a row, Senator Dick Durbin has helped ADAO secure a flag to fly over Capitol Hill in honor and remembrance of asbestos victims for Mesothelioma Awareness Day. The ADAO community is eternally grateful for the work and advocacy of United States Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois and his tireless staff, for enabling this monumental occasion to become a reality.”
ADAO awareness events this month include:
September 22: Miles for Meso Charity Race:
The 10th annual Miles for Meso Charity Race will take place on September 22 to raise asbestos awareness and funds for education. Participants can run in honor of a Mesothelioma Warrior by wearing a tribute bib.
September 26: 13th ADAO Congressional Staff Briefing:
The briefing will discuss increased asbestos imports and deaths; EPA’s failure to address and evaluate the largest risk of asbestos exposure in homes, schools, workplaces, and our environment; AHERA asbestos violations in CA, TX, and PA; new legal and legislative actions; and the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act. Credentialed Staffers Only.
September 26: #ENDMeso Twitter Chat:
During this hour-long Twitter Chat — which will be bilingual, in English and Spanish — ADAO will tweet a series of questions about asbestos awareness and personal experiences with mesothelioma, sparking a global conversation about the dangers of asbestos.
Leading up to Mesothelioma Awareness Month, ADAO will continue to collect signatures for its petition to the EPA to Ban Asbestos Now without Loopholes and Exemptions, which recently surpassed 100,000 names. Interested parties can help ADAO reach its goal of 150,000 signatures and tell the EPA to ban asbestos NOW.
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About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO is the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice through our education, advocacy, and community initiatives. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.
Media Contact:
Kim Cecchini
(202) 391-5205
kim@asbestosdiseaseawareness.org