2026 ADAO Staff Briefing Flyer
2026 RSVP: ADAO Staff Briefing Luncheon on Sep. 23 at 12:00 pm ET
Note: ADAO’s briefing is for credentialed staffers only. RSVP is Required.
Posted on August 31, 2026
The briefing comes at a pivotal moment for federal asbestos policy. On August 4, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and John Curtis (R-UT) introduced the bipartisan Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2026 (S. 5235). The bill would prohibit remaining commercial uses of asbestos and establish comprehensive federal protections in law, protections a future administration could not simply reverse. Passage would protect workers, families, and communities from preventable asbestos exposure for generations to come.
Nearly Two Decades of Congressional Education
Since 2008, ADAO has convened 19 Congressional Staff Briefings on asbestos’s impact on public health, workers, families, communities, and the environment. This briefing falls during Mesothelioma Awareness Month, when ADAO shares resources, honors those living with mesothelioma, remembers those lost, thanks caregivers, and recognizes the scientists and medical professionals advancing treatment.
With the continued leadership of Senator Jeff Merkley, ADAO is bringing congressional staff together again for an evidence-based update on:
- Asbestos-related diseases and their human and economic toll
- Ongoing exposure risks from legacy asbestos in homes, schools, workplaces, and public buildings
- Federal regulatory developments
- Current commercial uses of asbestos
- The need for comprehensive federal legislation to prevent exposure and disease
The bipartisan leadership of Senators Merkley and Curtis underscores an indelible fact: preventing asbestos exposure and disease is not a partisan issue. It is a public health imperative.
Why It Matters
Asbestos is a known human carcinogen. There is no safe level of exposure to any type of asbestos fiber. It can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, and other serious diseases, often decades after exposure occurs.
The EPA’s 2024 chrysotile asbestos rule marked important progress, but the United States still lacks a comprehensive statutory ban on asbestos. Congressional education and bipartisan legislative action remain essential.
Speakers include:
- 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.
- 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 21st Annual ADAO Awareness and Prevention Conference and advancing the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN).
- Greg Russell is a fierce and dedicated advocate for firefighter and public safety and 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. After retiring from the IAFF, Greg continues to serve fire fighters as the Legislative Director of the Federal Fire Fighters Joint Council. 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.
- Bob 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 has served as an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and a Visiting Lecturer at Yale Law School. Bob served in the Obama Administration as Co-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 has served 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 authored numerous articles and columns on energy and environmental issues.
Take Action
ADAO encourages patients, families, workers, advocates, public health professionals, and concerned citizens to ask their members of Congress to support the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act: S. 5235 in the Senate and H.R. 5373 in the House.
Learn more: ARBAN Act Resource Page and Timeline.
Twenty briefings. One enduring goal: prevent exposure, prevent disease, and save lives. Prevention remains the only cure.
Onward. Together.
Linda Reinstein President and Co-Founder Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)