October 12, 2021 If asbestos is a known carcinogen, then why is it still being used in the United States? It is common knowledge that asbestos is harmful in any amount, which has led many Americans to falsely assume that it must already be banned. In actuality, the U.S. has continued to use it in response to lobbyists pushing for special interests in the asbestos industry. Ultimately, there is a clash of ideologies at play in the U.S. between doing what is best for the consumer and what is best for a business’s bottom line. Other developed countries do not have this same problem, and 55 have already banned asbestos entirely, like the United Kingdom. To indeed be the great country it claims to be, the U.S. will have to take a hard look at where its priorities are aligned.
It is true that asbestos is not used nearly as widely as it once was, but the fact that it is still used in any capacity would surprise most Americans who only have a false sense of security. This assumption of safety can turn asbestos into a Trojan horse situation since most people are not even looking for it in the products they use. Each year asbestos kills 12,000 to 15,000 Americans. This number would be lower with awareness, proper warning labels, required testing, and most importantly, strict regulation.
Still used in 30 million homes, asbestos was referred to as “a poster child for a broken regulatory process” by journalist Miles O’Brien as part of a PBS documentary on the issue of its continued use. Other independent citizens who have lost loved ones have gone directly to their lawmakers to request changes and further regulations. Still, progress is slow for many, like Linda Reinstein, who lost her husband and has fought for the last 15 years for legislative change. There are decades of industry lobbying behind this issue, preventing further common-sense regulation.
Before there were any regulations in the U.S., over 700,000 tons of asbestos were consumed annually in the 1960s and 1970s. In the 1980s, there was a major movement to remove asbestos products such as piping and insulation from schools. In 1989, the EPA managed to finally ban the manufacturing, importation, processing, and sale of asbestos products. However, the chemical industry was able to successfully sue to overturn this ruling in 1991. By the year 2000, U.S. asbestos consumption decreased to 14,600 tons as most U.S. manufacturers had ceased production on their own, but in 2015 the U.S. was still importing 358 tons of asbestos each year. Congress eventually revisited this issue with the Obama administration updating the Toxic Substances Control Act to give the EPA more control to regulate asbestos.
Protecting the public from the dangers of asbestos has been a lingering issue for years and years. Ultimately, there is more work that needs to be done by the federal government in the coming years, as the continued consumption of asbestos will continue causing harmful asbestos-related illnesses. By taking measures to remove the influence of lobbyists when it comes to this dangerous material, the country can join many others around the globe and take a significant step forward in protecting public health.
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