Mesothelioma-Causing Asbestos May be Banned in the United States
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
According to a recent report, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has plans to phase out the use of asbestos within the next decade.
Lin Chien-hui, director of the EPA’s Department of Environmental Sanitation and Toxic Substance Management, said the ban on asbestos will be enforced through two stages.
On July 1, 2015, regulations will be in place to make sure asbestos is no longer used as a sealing material in construction projects. On July 1, 2020, asbestos will be banned for all uses in tiles, linings and extruded cement panels.
The plan to ban asbestos in the United States marks a big step towards lowering the risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. One of these conditions is malignant mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure. As with other asbestos-related diseases, there is no cure for mesothelioma and patients often find it difficult to live more than two years after being diagnosed.
This is not the first time the EPA has attempted to ban asbestos. In 1989, the EPA issued a ban on most asbestos-containing products. However, in 1991, the ban was overturned by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. The new ruling prevented all but six asbestos products from being banned.
Within the last few years, several organizations have collaborated on introducing legislative bills to ban asbestos. While none of these bills have been issued into effect, the continuing push for a ban has kept the campaign alive.
Additional information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.
This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 27th, 2010 at 12:32 pm and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Asbestos Legislation, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.
