EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enacted

FILE - Environmental Protection Agency administrator Michael Regan speaks, Feb. 16, 2024, in East Palestine, Ohio. The EPA announced Monday, March 18, a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a carcinogen that is still used in some chlorine bleach, brake pads and other products and kills thousands of Americans every year. Regan called the final rule a major step to protect public health.

“The science is clear: asbestos is a known carcinogen that has severe impacts on public health. This action is just the beginning as we work to protect all American families, workers and communities from toxic chemicals,'' Regan said. The EPA banned asbestos in 1989, but the rule was largely overturned by a 1991 court decision that weakened EPA’s authority under TSCA to address risks to human health from asbestos or other existing chemicals. The 2016 law required the EPA evaluate chemicals and put in place protections against unreasonable risks.

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