Posted on November 4, 2024
Unlike industry stakeholders seeking to dismantle these protections, ADAO’s mission is clear: to uphold the rule, defend the science behind it, and, where feasible, enhance the EPA’s asbestos regulations to better safeguard public health. We have a strong and scientifically proven case, one that will set important legal precedents and safeguard public health in the future.
On September 30, ADAO filed our brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to “ASKS COURT TO REQUIRE EPA TO STRENGTHEN CHRYSOTILE RULE TO BETTER PROTECT AMERICANS FROM ASBESTOS EXPOSURE.”
On October 17, ADAO filed a motion asking the Fifth Circuit to reconsider its hasty order allowing the Alliance of Auto Innovators (AAI), a trade group representing the nation’s auto manufacturers, to file an unprecedented and deeply troubling amicus brief seeking to invalidate the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Part 1 Chrysotile Asbestos Rule.
As both ADAO and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) emphasized, the AAI brief introduced new arguments outside the scope of the case; however, the Court denied our Motions to Reject the Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s Amicus Brief.
While the EPA refrained from formally opposing AAI’s amicus status, it echoed ADAO’s concerns in its own filing, stating that many issues raised by the automakers’ brief are outside the case’s intended scope and should be excluded from consideration.
ADAO will continue to counter any arguments that attempt to undermine the science or reopen established findings on the health impacts of chrysotile asbestos. We will continue our dual-prong strategy of fighting for an asbestos-free world on both legal and legislative fronts.
Linda Reinstein
