WASHINGTON, March 19, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - President Joe Biden's administration
on Monday finalized a rule banning the last remaining form of asbestos in the
United States, half a century after the government first targeted the cancer-
causing mineral.

Chrysotile asbestos -- used in industrial processes, vehicle brake linings,
pipe gaskets and more -- has already been prohibited in more than 50
countries, with the US a notable outlier.

"While the use of asbestos in the United States has been declining for
decades, use of chrysotile asbestos has continued to this day," Environmental
Protection Agency chief Michael Regan told reporters.

"But the science is clear and settled: there is simply no safe level of
exposure to asbestos."

Asbestos exposure is linked to the deaths of more than 40,000 Americans a
year as a result of lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer, and laryngeal
cancer.

Ending its use is part of Biden's so-called "Cancer Moonshot," a White House
initiative to reduce deaths from cancer.

Michal Freedhoff, an EPA official, said a failure to fully phase out asbestos
"symbolizes the failure of the original Toxic Substances Control Act," a law
passed in 1976.

When the agency initially attempted a full ban on asbestos in 1989, a court
overturned its decision two years later.

The latest actions are the first carried out following 2016 amendments
updating the law.

Freedhoff said the ban would be implemented on staggered timelines to allow
industry enough time to transition.

One of the biggest users of the fibrous mineral is the chlor-alkali sector,
which uses asbestos diaphragms to separate chlorine from sodium hydroxide via
electrolysis. Chlorine is critical to disinfect drinking water and
wastewater.

The EPA said it was banning new imports of asbestos immediately, while
companies that still used asbestos diaphragms would have up to 12 years to
convert their facilities.

Asbestos in oilfield brake blocks and aftermarket automotive brakes and
linings will be banned six months after the rule is finalized.

Meanwhile, a nuclear site in Georgia will be given until 2037 to transition
from asbestos use in gaskets in order to protect workers from radiation
exposure as they dispose of nuclear material.

"It is long past time for the US to ban asbestos, and unacceptable this known
carcinogen continues to threaten Americans and devastate families," said
congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici.