Ban Asbestos! Save our Trades Men & Women and Firefighters!

Energy & Infrastructure
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Each year, an estimated 40,000 Americans (ADAO Asbestos Mortality Report from 1991 - 2019 || The Dark Truth about Asbestos: Over One Million Americans Have Died from Preventable Asbestos-Caused Diseases Since EPA Tried to Ban Asbestos - ADAO - Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization) die from preventable asbestos-caused diseases. Nearly 70 countries have banned asbestos, yet asbestos imports and use continue in the United States. In 1989, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule banning asbestos-containing products. But due to industry legal challenges, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned that regulation in 1991. That was the last time the U.S. attempted to ban asbestos. In the nearly 35 years since EPA attempted to ban asbestos, more than one million American have died from an asbestos-caused disease.

But due to industry legal challenges, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans overturned that regulation in 1991. That was the last time the U.S. attempted to ban asbestos. In the nearly 35 years since EPA attempted to ban asbestos, more than one million American have died from an asbestos-caused disease.

Since 2016, Congress has introduced eight Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Acts, four in the House, and four in the Senate. The bicameral ARBAN Act was introduced and voted out of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce with a strong bipartisan margin of 47-1 on November 19, 2019.

Although ARBAN was scheduled on the House suspension calendar in September 2020, the bill was removed and failed to proceed for a floor vote. Most recently, the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2023 was reintroduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley and Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (S.1069 and [H.R.2402] (https://bit.ly/3zW4uyU)) on March 30th, 2023.

Although in recent years EPA has taken landmark steps with their Part 1 and Part 2 Asbestos Risk Evaluation, the rule will be limited to the chrysotile form of asbestos. Therefore, it would not cover the five other deadly fiber types of asbestos. Thus, there would be no limitation on the future importation and use of these fibers. In 2022, the chlor-alkali industry imported 300% more raw asbestos into the U.S. than in 2021. We need a full ban on asbestos, which can be achieved with ARBAN.

Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2023/2024 (S.1069 and [H.R.4244] (https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/4244)):

Public Health and Safety Experts Urge Congress to Ban Asbestos in July Congressional Briefing

EPA Part 1 and 2 Chrysotile Asbestos Proposed Rule

Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Acts in the U.S. Senate

Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Acts in the U.S. House of Representatives

There have been two ARBAN legislative hearings:

ARBAN would accomplish three critical public health objectives:

  1. ARBAN will ban the importation and commercial use of all six asbestos fibers (chrysotile, crocidolite (riebeckite), amosite (cummingtonite-grunerite), anthophyllite, tremolite, and actinolite) as well as Libby Amphibole, winchite, and richerite, in all uses.
  2. Upon enactment, ARBAN would require chlor-alkali plants using asbestos diaphragms to eliminate the use of asbestos and convert to non-asbestos technology in two years.
  3. ARBAN will develop an educational outreach program to support full compliance with ARBAN.

Early 2023/2024 ARBAN Supporters Include: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American Public Health Association, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Center for Environmental Health, Collegium Ramazzini, ConnectiCOSH, Environmental Information Association, Environmental Working Group, GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, International Association of Firefighters, Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, Occupational Knowledge International, Olin Corporation, PHILAPOSH, Rutgers School of Public Health, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, SafeWork Washington, Toxic-Free Future, and United Mine Workers of America.

2023/2024 ARBAN Sponsors and Cosponsors Include: Rep. Suzanne Bonamici, Rep. Steve Cohen, Rep. Debbie Dingell, Rep. Eleanor Norton, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, Rep. Jesus G. “Chuy” Garcia, Rep. Betty McCollum, Rep. Paul Tonko, Rep. Julia Brownley, Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, Rep. Nikki Budzinski, Rep. James P. McGovern, Rep. Chellie Pingree, Rep. Dina Titus, Rep. David J. Trone, Rep. Mike Levin, Rep. Daniel S. Goldman, Rep. Jerrold Nadler, Rep. Josh Gottheimer, Rep. Joe Neguse, Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola, Rep. Don Bacon, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Andy Kim, Rep. Morgan Mcgarvey, Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, Rep. Ted Lieu, Rep. Robert Garcia, Rep. Mikie Sherill, Sen. Jeff Merkley and Sen. Jon Tester.

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Obesity has a correlation to cancer of 0.6 asbestos a weak 0.05-7

So, as much as it’s nice to claim cigarettes’ and asbestos cause cancer, the data says, being fat is significantly greater predictor of any and all Cancer and any and ALL cause mortality.

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Are you familiar with asbestos and Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma can not be compared to the lung cancers (i.e. NSCLC or SCLC) you can get from smoking. Smoking is not the only way you can get lung cancer, but asbestos exposure is the only way you can get Mesothelioma.

There are actually 4 types of Mesothelioma - Pleural mesothelioma (lung), Peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen), Pericardial mesothelioma (heart), Testicular mesothelioma (testicles) - each more rarer than the previous.

The actual asbestos fibers are either inhaled and ingested, and don’t appear until 10-50 years after exposure. So obesity, doesn’t matter in Mesothelioma cancers, those tumors have been in the body for decades, and are going to come out of their latency period at some point. Early detection is extremely hard with Mesothelioma, which is why there is such a high mortality rate with this rare cancer.

My dad was an electrician since 1964, since is when his asbestos exposure began. He had Peritoneal Mesothelioma, which has less than 500 cases a year.

The surgeon described taking the tumors out of his abdomen like scraping out peanut butter. He lost his colon, spleen, gallbladder and abdomen lining - and ended up with an ileostomy bag.

He was diagnosed in March 2020. Had surgery in April. We thought he was cancer free, but it came back, stage 4, in August. Had chemo until November. November 3rd, they told him, he had 3-6 months. He was admitted to the hospital with immense pain on 11/9, left 11/12 with hospice, died 11/18.

This is a horrible disease. It took this healthy man, in a matter of months.

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Lung cancer prevalence relating to asbestos exposure is very likely a tenuous relationship. For instance, auto-mechanics rarely get lung cancer, many of whom worked for 30-50 yrs in the era of asbestos brake pads and clutch lining, and very few developed lung cancer. I think that lung cancer in many cases maybe multivariate. Mesothelioma may not have a singular cause, but may very well be brought on by a multivariate of factors environment, genetic predisposition and other. The problem is that the correlation between asbestos exposure is about as strong cigarette smoking, certainly clear causality to things like emphysema , brown lung etc. But cancer, the data just isn’t there to support the wide claim of it. Asbestos was so prevalent 60 yrs ago, yet lung cancer rates are significantly higher now than 60 yrs ago.

My strong suspicions is that it is a combination of seed oils and processed carbohydrates, add in a sprinkle of enviromental factor, wham lung cancer in a subset of the genetically vulnerable.