Posted on June 30, 2025

The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2025: A Legislative Path Toward Ending All Asbestos in America

Since 2016, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act has been at the center of federal efforts to protect Americans from the ongoing dangers of asbestos exposure. Named in memory of my late husband, Alan Reinstein, who died from mesothelioma, the bill amplifies the voices of thousands who have suffered and calls for a future free from preventable asbestos-caused diseases.

Thanks to Senator Jeff Merkley, Representative Suzanne Bonamici, and now Representative Don Bacon, the first Republican to co-sponsor the bill, Congress has an opportunity in 2025 to finally pass a comprehensive, bipartisan ban on all forms of asbestos, in all uses.

A Proven Legislative Track Record

ARBAN has been thoroughly vetted. In 2019, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee passed the bill with a decisive 47–1 bipartisan vote. Despite this progress, a technical hurdle blocked it from receiving a floor vote.

In 2022 and 2023, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee held hearings that reinforced the bill’s scientific, legal, and public health urgency. It has been clear for years that the bill has strong support in Congress despite the fact that political delays have blocked previous versions. This year, momentum is yet again building with growing awareness, EPA action, and renewed Congressional support.

Now, in 2025, the reintroduction of ARBAN comes at a critical moment. The EPA finalized its Part 1 Chrysotile Asbestos Rule in 2024, but the rule is limited and does not ban the full range of asbestos fibers still posing risks to public health. ARBAN is the only measure that can fully close that gap and ban asbestos with no loopholes or exemptions.

What the ARBAN Act of 2025 Will Do

The 2025 ARBAN Act, reintroduced by Senator Merkley and Representative Bonamici, is a comprehensive legislative strategy to end asbestos exposure nationwide. It focuses on two main public health priorities:

  1. End Imports of All Asbestos  Fibers
    ARBAN would prohibit the importation, processing, and commercial use of all six types of asbestos (chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite), as well as Libby Amphibole, winchite, and richerite. All six fibers are carcinogenic, and there is no safe level of exposure to any of the fiber types. The EPA’s current rule addresses only one fiber, chrysotile; in contrast, ARBAN leaves no toxic fiber behind.
  2. Stop All Asbestos Use

 The chlor-alkali industry continues to import raw asbestos for diaphragm production. ARBAN requires these plants to transition to non-asbestos technology within five years.

Why We Still Need ARBAN in 2025

The Public Health Crisis Persists
Each year, an estimated 40,000 Americans die from asbestos-related diseases such as mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. That’s one life lost every 13 minutes to something entirely preventable.

Legal Loopholes Remain
Despite the EPA’s progress, five of the six asbestos fiber types are still technically legal in the United States. ARBAN is the only legislative measure that would fully restrict all of them from imports and use now and in the future.

Asbestos Imports Continue
In 2022, asbestos imports surged by 300 percent, primarily for industrial use in the chlor-alkali sector. Without a ban, future imports remain a possibility, even as nearly 70 countries have already banned asbestos completely.

Broad and Bipartisan Support in 2023 ARBAN

ARBAN continues to earn support from across the aisle and among leading medical, labor, environmental, and public health organizations. Supporters include:

  • American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
  • International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
  • Natural Resources Defense Council
  • American Public Health Association
  • Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
  • Environmental Working Group
  • United Mine Workers of America
  • …and dozens of other national organizations

The United States cannot afford another year of inaction. While the EPA’s steps are important, only ARBAN offers a full and lasting solution. It is the only bill that protects workers, families, veterans, and future generations from the full scope of asbestos harm.

Let 2025 be the year we finally say: enough is enough. No more lives lost. Pass ARBAN.

Watch and Learn More

📺 Watch Sen. Jeff Merkley discuss ARBAN
📺 Watch Rep. Suzanne Bonamici’s ARBAN remarks
📘 Read the full text of the ARBAN Act of 2025 (coming soon)

Together we are making change happen and are on the path to eliminate all asbestos-caused diseases. 

Linda Reinstein