Posted February 28, 2025

Asbestos continues to be a significant, ongoing public health crisis, contributing to an estimated 40,000 deaths across the United States each year. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence confirming its dangers and decades of advocacy from public health experts, organizations, and affected families, asbestos remains legally imported and used in the country to this day. Many assume asbestos was banned years ago, but the reality is far different—corporate profits continue to be prioritized over human lives.

The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act would prohibit all forms of asbestos from being imported or used in the U.S. Since its introduction in 2023, this bill has yet to receive a full hearing or vote, leaving Americans vulnerable to preventable exposure, of which there is no safe level.

Why Hasn’t ARBAN Passed?

When speaking with members of Congress, we often hear the same response: The EPA is taking care of it.” However, the reality is far more complicated, while the EPA has made progress, its regulatory actions are piecemeal, slow, and vulnerable to legal challenges. No EPA rule matches the comprehensive protections that ARBAN would provide.

One example is the EPA’s Chrysotile Asbestos Rule (Part 1), which went into effect in 2024. Although the rule restricts certain uses of chrysotile asbestos, it does so under only six specific conditions. This leaves the door open for asbestos to be imported for other purposes or even reintroduced through regulatory loopholes, failing to entirely eliminate the threat asbestos poses to public health. All six fibers are carcinogenic, and the EPA’s rule is a very limited ban.

Even more concerning, EPA’s Part 2 Rule, focusing on legacy asbestos, remains in limbo. As industry lawyers tie up regulations in prolonged legal battles, Americans continue to be exposed and harmed. This is why we need Congress to act. Asbestos deaths are preventable — if you stop the exposure, you stop the deaths. 

The Corporate Holdout: OxyChem

Right now, one company—OxyChem—remains the sole importer of raw chrysotile asbestos in the U.S. Their competitors, Olin and Westlake, have already moved to asbestos-free technology. In fact, Olin’s CEO has publicly endorsed ARBAN, proving that eliminating asbestos is not only possible but economically viable.

If industry leaders can transition away from asbestos, why hasn’t Congress taken action? The answer is clear: powerful lobbying efforts, deep-rooted industry influence, and regulatory loopholes that continue to delay much-needed protections. The only way to permanently close those loopholes and protect public health is for Congress to pass ARBAN into law once and for all

It’s Time to Act

We can no longer depend on weak regulations or trust companies to police themselves when it comes to a deadly carcinogen like asbestos. We must urge Congress to pass ARBAN to permanently ban asbestos and protect future generations.

Join us in this fight. Send your letter to Congress today using ADAO’s online platform—it only takes a few minutes.

Every 13 minutes, someone in the U.S. dies from asbestos-related diseases. Let’s make 2025 the year we finally end this crisis and ban asbestos once and for all.

Linda Reinstein