Citing a longtime battle of “David and Goliath” proportions, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) recently commended the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) action to rank asbestos among the top 10 high-risk chemicals for regulation under the Lautenberg Act.
The global advocacy group’s president and co-founder, Linda Reinstein, issued a supportive statement, calling the EPA determination “a life-saving decision.”
“For decades the asbestos industry and our government have known asbestos is a carcinogen that kills as many as 15,000 Americans every year, yet to this day asbestos remains legal,” she said. “The inclusion of asbestos as a top 10 high-risk chemical signals the EPA’s commitment to protecting Americans from this and other deadly toxins and sets the stage for future environmental protection efforts. For far too long, the chemical industry has been allowed to put our families at risk in the name of profit, but today we are a crucial step closer to ending the litany of preventable deaths caused by asbestos exposure.”
Sponsored by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL) and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and championed by U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), H.R. 2576 —or the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act — strives “to modernize the toxic substances control act” by redefining, testing and reporting chemical substances for review of safety and legality. It was passed in June of 2016.
“ADAO has been fighting this David vs. Goliath battle for 13 years, going toe to toe with deep-pocketed lobbyists,” Reinstein said. “We are thankful to the EPA staff, members of Congress and their staff, asbestos victims and ADAO volunteers who spent countless hours fighting for legislation that would protect the public from asbestos … As we celebrate this historic moment, the ADAO team renews our dedication to see this legislation through to regulation and, eventually, a full federal ban.”
