Where are you at most risk from asbestos? Check this map.
Asbestos kills 12,000–15,000 people per year in the U.S.
Biden-Harris Administration finalizes ban on ongoing uses of asbestos to protect people from cancer. — EPA
“Trump has directly supported the use of asbestos… it is “100% safe, once applied.” In 2018, a Russian asbestos company began marketing the carcinogenic mineral with Trump’s image and a seal reading “Approved by Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States.” Russia has been a primary supplier of asbestos to the U.S.” — ArsTechnica
Check your risk from asbestos with this StoryMap.
Why has it taken so long for the EPA to outlaw asbestos?
Federal regulators said that the ban was the first rule to be finalized under the updated Toxic Substances Control Act, the national chemical safety law that was overhauled in 2016. Previous attempts to prohibit the use of asbestos fell flat. The EPA tried to ban asbestos outright in the late 1980s, but companies fought back. When the agency announced its 1989 prohibition on the use of asbestos, there was a carve-out for the chlorine industry. — NPR
‘Do Nothing’ MAGA Congress jeopardizes your health
“Trump is once again running for president and could move to undo the ban if he wins in November. That is one of the reasons some are calling on Congress to pass a law to ban all types of asbestos outright, The New York Times reported.
Senator Jeff Merkley (D‑Ore.) said the EPA’s move today is “a long overdue step forward for public health. However, it cannot be the end of the road when it comes to phasing out other dangerous asbestos fibers, and Congress has a role to play here when it comes to providing stronger protections for our health.” — Ars Technica
TakeAway: Call your congressperson to demand they ban asbestos. Your life is worth more than Russian support for Trump.
Deepak
DemLabs
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