Senate backs banning asbestos
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Senate voted on Thursday to ban the import and use of asbestos, which is still used in some industries despite its link to cancer, a crush of lawsuits, and earlier attempts to ban it.
The measure would prohibit the sale of asbestos products two years after it becomes law, and represents the first wide-scale effort to prohibit asbestos in nearly 20 years.
"Today 2,500 metric tons (of asbestos) are being imported every year in hair dryers, ceiling tiles, brake pads" and other products, said Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat who has been pushed the additional limitation for the past seven years.
Approved unanimously in the Senate, the issue now shifts to the House of Representatives. A companion bill has been introduced in that chamber.
Asbestos is the name for a number of fibrous silicate minerals known for their insulating qualities, strength and fire resistance.
It was used widely in construction and other industries for much of the 20th century, but was scaled back after serious health problems were linked to exposure to airborne particles. A sweeping Environmental Protection Agency effort in 1989 to ban it was overturned by an appeals court in 1991.
Annual U.S. asbestos use has dropped to 2,300 tons in 2006 from almost 800,000 tons in the mid 1970s due mainly to public awareness about health problems and the impact of litigation, congressional officials said.
It is still a $250 million per year business in the United States, a congressional aide said.
Because the previous ban was in place for two years, Murray has said Americans still believe asbestos was off-limits and that there was little or no risk of exposure.
Sen. Johnny Isakson, a Georgia Republican, said for those few areas where asbestos is still in use in the United States, the legislation provides a "reasonable transition" to phasing out its use "once and for all."
The EPA would enforce the prohibition.
The Senate bill includes limited exceptions for the military and the space programs, and a narrower exemption for chlorine manufacturers. The Senate bill also addresses concerns of the crushed stone industry.
About half of the asbestos imported into the United States is used in roofing products. About one-quarter is found in coatings and 20 percent in other products.
According to the Commerce Department, the U.S. imports more than $100 million in brake parts per year.
Some of those imports are from countries in which asbestos is poorly regulated, according to supporters of the legislation. Asbestos is mined in China, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere. It is no longer mined in the United States.
The government estimates that 10,000 Americans die annually from mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. About one-third of mesothelioma victims were exposed to asbestos while serving in the U.S. Navy or working at shipyards decades ago, according to experts.
The measure did not address an unsuccessful attempt in 2006 for Congress to create a privately funded trust to pay claims of workers sickened by asbestos.
