FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 13, 2024
EXPERTS URGE WHITE HOUSE & EPA TO REJECT INDUSTRY CLAIMS AND PROTECT PUBLIC FROM ASBESTOS
Speakers Refute Industry Exaggerations in Meeting with White House Officials
WASHINGTON, DC – The Asbestos Disease Awareness Association (ADAO), the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to ending the import and use of asbestos and advocating for victims of asbestos-caused diseases, again brought together a coalition of public health and safety experts to advocate for the comprehensive ban of asbestos imports and use in the United States.
The advocates demanded an opportunity to correct the record in a meeting with representatives from the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) after chlor-alkali industry and water utility representatives once again exaggerated the impact of a ban on asbestos on water treatment and EPA’s rulemaking record raised serious concerns about widespread exposure to asbestos gaskets in the chemical and refining sectors.
“Once again, we are forced to stand up to the chlor-alkali and gasket industries that refuse to accept the cold, hard truth that asbestos kills. Their repeated and exaggerated claims that they need 15 more years of asbestos imports and use flagrantly disregard the hundreds of thousands of lives that have already been lost and the additional lives that will be put at risk by their continued use of this deadly substance,” said Linda Reinstein, President & Co-Founder, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. “It’s time to ban all forms of asbestos, including chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite. Every asbestos type is lethal. We cannot afford years of litigation and delay because corporate half-truths and profit margins are prioritized over public health,” Reinstein said.
ADAO urged EPA to include all forms of asbestos fibers in its rulemaking. Five of six asbestos fiber types were not within the scope of EPA’s proposed Asbestos Part 1 rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which addresses only chrysotile asbestos and six limited conditions of use. ADAO also called on the agency to avoid lengthy phase-out schedules that will undoubtedly result in years of additional asbestos exposure and cause unnecessary and avoidable death and disease. Lastly, ADAO called on the officials to be mindful of the environmental justice impacts of continued asbestos use and lengthy transitions.
This coalition represents a broad spectrum of public health, cancer prevention, and worker safety organizations, united in the call for a total ban on asbestos to prevent further loss of life and health complications related to asbestos exposure.
Attendees included:
- Chris Carberg, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Digital Strategist
- Arthur L. Frank, MD, PhD, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Co-Chair Science Advisory Board
- Brent Kynoch, Environmental Information Association
- Tom Laubenthal, Environmental Information Association
- Linda Reinstein, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, President & Co-Founder
- Greg Russell, International Association of Fire Fighters, Government Affairs Representative
- Bob Sussman, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Counsel
The ADAO stands at the forefront of this fight, committed to educating the public, advocating for protective legislation, and supporting the communities affected by asbestos-related diseases.
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About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO):
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization is the leading independent nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos-related diseases through education, advocacy, and community support. Founded in 2004, ADAO has been a vocal and effective advocate for public health, tirelessly working to influence policy and raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure.