Posted on May 31, 2021

On June 1, 2021, the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) will deliver comments at a public meeting held by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on the development of risk management actions under section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos and PV29. Bob Sussman, ADAO Counsel; Travis, asbestos victim from Louisiana; and myself, Linda Reinstein, mesothelioma widow and ADAO Co-founder, will all speak during the public meeting.

Travis, whose grandfather died from throat cancer due to asbestos exposure, stated, “My grandfather worked at DOW Chemicals for 40 years as a laborer and lived in Plaquemine, Louisiana. In 1994, he found out that he had throat cancer, caused by asbestos. He was never warned by DOW about the dangers of working with asbestos, just like so many people in my community. This area is home to mostly Black Americans and Latinos, and the incredibly high amount of chemical plants have polluted the water and air and caused cancer and health problems for its residents. This is environmental racism.” 

Asbestos, a known carcinogen, kills over 40,000 Americans each year, and has a deadlier impact on communities of color through legacy asbestos — living in older houses that contain asbestos, attending schools and workplaces that were built using asbestos — and direct exposure through chemical companies and  industries with high cancer risks. Asbestos contributes to environmental racism due to the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards on communities or color, including pollution, carcinogens, and unclean water. This is clearly seen in Davidson, North Carolina, where there are more than 2,000 tons of asbestos-contaminated soil on the 130-year-old Linden Mill. When the mill was first turned into an asbestos manufacturer, it was a boon for Black workers, who had not previously been allowed to work at the cotton mill, but were employed at the factory. According to recent reporting by WFAE, many workers developed deadly asbestos-caused diseases and ultimately lost their lives, leading to a deep sense of distrust among longtime residents. 

This is true for sites across the nation. While nearly 70 other countries worldwide have banned asbestos, it remains legal and lethal in the United States. Since 2005, the U.S. has paid $16,309,323 to import 16,497 metric tons of asbestos and buried an estimated 600,000 Americans due to asbestos-caused diseases. Legacy asbestos exists in millions of schools, homes, and buildings, as well as in our air, soil, and water.

To this day, hundreds of thousands of families who have been affected by asbestos-related illnesses are waiting for action against asbestos in our country, while more are being unknowingly exposed to the carcinogen every day. Taking a stand against asbestos is taking a stand for environmental justice, and the right to clean air and safe living for all. 

ADAO plans to raise these concerns, and more, during EPA’s public meeting. EPA’s environmental justice consultation period will extend until August 13, 2021. 

Together, we are making change happen.

Linda Reinstein
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