June 11, 2026

WEBINAR: Asbestos at a Crossroads: The Legal, Regulatory, and Legislative Battle to End Asbestos Exposure  || Speaker Bios

Arthur L. Frank, MD, PhD is a physician board certified in both internal medicine and occupational medicine and currently serves as a clinical Professor of Public Health and Professor and Chair Emeritus of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Drexel University School of Public Health in Philadelphia. He is also a Professor of Medicine (Pulmonary) at the Drexel College of Medicine. He also holds a position at Drexel as Professor of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering.

A life-long academic, Dr. Frank has previously taught at Mount Sinai, the University of Kentucky and in the University of Texas System. He has served many governmental agencies in the US and has carried out research and has been a governmental advisor internationally. He has been interested in the health hazards of asbestos for more than 50 years.

He has published extensively  on the hazards of asbestos, and clinically cared for asbestos-affected patients. He has lectured internationally about the problems of asbestos and worked in many settings looking at the diseases caused by this material. His research interests have been in the areas of occupational cancers and occupational lung diseases, as well as agricultural safety and health.

For thirty-seven years, he held a commission in the U S Public Health Service (active and inactive) and served on active duty both at the NIH and at NIOSH.

Arthur is the ADAO Science Advisory Board Co-Chair.

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Brent Kynoch is the Managing Director of the Environmental Information Association, headquartered just outside of Washington, DC in Chevy Chase, MD. He has been the Managing Director of the Association since 1996, but previously had served EIA in other volunteer roles on the Board of Directors as an officer, and ultimately as the President of EIA in 1988 and 1989. EIA has spent 40 years at the forefront in providing its members with the information needed to remain knowledgeable, responsible and competitive in the environmental health and safety industry.

When Mr. Kynoch changes his hat to his “paying job,” he is the President of Kynoch Environmental Management, Inc., (KEM) an environmental engineering and industrial hygiene firm and he is the CEO of Clearity Environmental – a firm specializing in moisture control and mold prevention during multi-family construction.

Mr. Kynoch is a graduate of Vanderbilt University, where he received a degree in mechanical engineering. He is called upon frequently as a speaker, as a writer and as an expert regarding environmental contaminants. He has testified before both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate regarding asbestos, and has written numerous articles on asbestos, lead and mold. Most recently, Mr. Kynoch was presented with the Snider Lifetime Achievement Award by EIA.

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Linda Reinstein is a leading public health advocate and serves as the President & CEO of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO). Her journey into advocacy began in 2003 when her husband, Alan, was diagnosed with mesothelioma — a cancer caused by asbestos exposure. In response, she co-founded ADAO in 2004, focusing the organization on increasing awareness about the hazards of asbestos, advocating for a global asbestos ban, and providing support to those affected by asbestos-related diseases.

ADAO has grown into the largest independent nonprofit in the U.S. dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, eliminating asbestos-related diseases, and pushing for regulatory reform. Focused on evidence-based advocacy, Reinstein has been a vocal presence, frequently testifying before Congress and other governmental agencies, and influencing national and international policies related to asbestos.

Reinstein’s work has significantly contributed to asbestos awareness and the protection of public health around the world. She continues to be a key figure in advocating for a global asbestos ban and supporting individuals and families affected by asbestos-related diseases. Currently, she is involved in organizing the 20th Annual ADAO Awareness and Prevention Conference and advancing the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN).

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A fierce and dedicated advocate for firefighter and public safety, Greg Russell is a leading voice in the crucial fight to pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act. For Greg, this legislative battle is a personal mission, born from witnessing the devastating toll of asbestos-related diseases on his colleagues.

Following a distinguished 33-year career where he rose to the rank of Fire Marshal, Greg embarked on a second career as a Government Affairs Representative for the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). There, he was instrumental in advancing critical legislation on carcinogen exposure, occupational illness benefits, and the overall health and safety of first responders and the public.

From the front lines of the fire service to the halls of government, Greg has leveraged his extensive, hands-on experience to champion the well-being of his fellow firefighters. His unwavering commitment continues to effect meaningful change, working to protect future generations of first responders from preventable harm.

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Robert Sussman, JD, is the principal in Sussman and Associates, a consulting firm that offers advice on energy and environmental policy issues to clients in the non-profit and private sectors. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and was a Visiting Lecturer at Yale Law School.

Bob served in the Obama Administration as C0-Chair of the Transition Team for EPA and then as Senior Policy Counsel to the EPA Administrator from 2009-2013. He served in the Clinton Administration as the EPA Deputy Administrator during 1993-94.

At the end of 2007, Bob retired as a partner at the law firm of Latham & Watkins, where he headed the firm’s environmental practice in DC. Bob was a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress in 2008. He is currently serving on the Board on Environmental Science of the National Academy of Sciences and as a Commissioner of the Interstate Commission for the Potomac River Basin.

Bob is a magna cum laude 1969 graduate of Yale College and a 1973 graduate of Yale Law School. Bob has posted numerous blogs on the Brookings Institution Website and elsewhere and published articles in the Environmental Law Reporter and other publications.

 

Webinar Resources

EPA Part I

EPA Part 2

AAPC: 

TSCA:

Toys Recall:

ARBAN: 

Outside Resources

Environmental Law Institute Conference: TSCA Reform – 10 Years Later 

Environmental Information Association: Asbestos Resources