U.S. Senate's bill S. 742, the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007, was unanimous approved last Thursday. This new law puts in place a complete ban on the production, manufacture, and distribution of asbestos in the U.S.
A press release from bill co-sponsor Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga announced the passage of S. 742. It states:
"The bill establishes a permanent ban of asbestos that will be enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill also mandates the most thorough government study of asbestos to date. The study will ensure the best experts from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the National Academy of Sciences and the EPA examine all aspects of asbestos, including its natural properties, its geographic distribution across the United States and its effects on the human body."
"Asbestos is known to cause diseases, including mesothelioma, a cancer that occurs when malignant cells develop in the protective lining around the lungs. Despite this hazard, the substance is not banned. The EPA initially proposed a ban of most asbestos-containing materials in the late 1970’s, but the rule was not finalized until 1989. In 1991, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the rule, finding that EPA had 'failed to muster substantial evidence' in support of the ban. Today, the United States uses about 2,000 tons of asbestos annually, down from almost 800,000 tons used in the mid-1970's."
In addition to an outright ban on asbestos, the bill also calls for a national mesothelioma registry, a public information campaign about the hazards of asbestos-containing materials, some narrow exemptions for the few areas in which asbestos can be used safely and an annual testing program for asbestos-containing material in products."
A press release from bill co-sponsor Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga announced the passage of S. 742. It states:
"The bill establishes a permanent ban of asbestos that will be enforced by the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill also mandates the most thorough government study of asbestos to date. The study will ensure the best experts from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the National Academy of Sciences and the EPA examine all aspects of asbestos, including its natural properties, its geographic distribution across the United States and its effects on the human body."
"Asbestos is known to cause diseases, including mesothelioma, a cancer that occurs when malignant cells develop in the protective lining around the lungs. Despite this hazard, the substance is not banned. The EPA initially proposed a ban of most asbestos-containing materials in the late 1970’s, but the rule was not finalized until 1989. In 1991, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down the rule, finding that EPA had 'failed to muster substantial evidence' in support of the ban. Today, the United States uses about 2,000 tons of asbestos annually, down from almost 800,000 tons used in the mid-1970's."
In addition to an outright ban on asbestos, the bill also calls for a national mesothelioma registry, a public information campaign about the hazards of asbestos-containing materials, some narrow exemptions for the few areas in which asbestos can be used safely and an annual testing program for asbestos-containing material in products."
Labels: workplace safety
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home