Posted on June 13, 2023

On Friday, June 9th, 21 organizations sent a joint letter to the United States Senate and House of Representatives, as well as the Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (EPW), and the House Committee on Energy & Commerce (E&C). The letters to Congressional representatives urged them to cosponsor the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act, the most comprehensive ban asbestos bill put before Congress in over 30 years. The additional letter to the EPW and E&C committees invited them to move ARBAN forward for a markup, a critical step toward getting this life-saving bill passed.

The three letters highlighted the importance of banning asbestos, citing both the extreme death toll and unmanageable risk of asbestos exposure. While many Americans believe asbestos has already been banned, it remains legal and lethal in the United States. According to recent mortality data, an estimated 40,000 Americans die from asbestos-caused diseases every year. Unfortunately, this number is only expected to rise. 

As noted in the letters, the chlor-alkali industry is the sole importer of asbestos and has been since 2015. ARBAN would require the industries importing and using asbestos to transition to non-asbestos technology — a process already underway at dozens of plants and proven to be economically feasible and environmentally beneficial. Recently, an industry leader, the Olin Corporation, expressed their support for a ban on asbestos.

More than ever before, ARBAN is supported by a wide array of stakeholder organizations, including nearly all chlor-alkali industry players, and represents a critical step forward in preventing diseases, suffering, and deaths caused by asbestos exposure. The unification of these 21 organizations in support of an asbestos ban, highlights the broad stakeholder support that has underpinned the ban-asbestos movement for years. 

ARBAN (S.1069 and H.R. 2402) and is crucial legislation that will save lives. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who signed on to reaffirm the importance of swift action in banning asbestos. The following organizations recognize what needs to be done:

Joint letter endorsers are as follows: American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American Public Health Association, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Center for Environmental Health, Collegium Ramazzini, ConnectiCOSH,  Environmental Information Association,  Environmental Working Group,  GO2 Foundation for Lung Cancer, International Association of Firefighters,  Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health, National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, Natural Resources Defense Council, Occupational Knowledge International, PHILAPOSH, Rutgers School of Public Health, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, SafeWork Washington, Toxic-Free Future, and United Mine Workers of America.

To learn more about the EPA’s proposed final rule, read our fact sheet here.

Nearly 70 countries have already banned asbestos, but the United States lags behind. Congress must recognize that a legislative ban is a necessity to protect American citizens from disease and death due to asbestos exposure. Unlike the EPA’s attempt to ban asbestos in 1989, a legislative ban will be much harder for industry to contest, or overturn.

We hope Congress will move ARBAN forward and pass it once and for all. Change starts today.

Linda Reinstein