Biden administration bans ongoing uses of asbestos

The Biden administration will ban or phase out ongoing uses of asbestos, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said Monday. 

The EPA issued a rule that set deadlines for industry to transition away from using the substance, which causes lung cancer. It will also bar imports of the type of asbestos currently used in the U.S.

Historically, asbestos was used in roofing and cement — and may still be found in old buildings. 

Once its health effects became known, the use of asbestos declined, but it is still used to disinfect drinking water and wastewater as well as in vehicle brakes, mechanical seals, and oil and gas drilling.

These industries, however, will have to transition away from the substance — though an EPA press release said they will have a “a reasonable transition period” as required by law. 

The ban applies to chrysotile asbestos, which is the only known type of asbestos used in the U.S., though five other types of asbestos exist.

“The science is clear — asbestos is a known carcinogen that has severe impacts on public health. President Biden understands that this concern that has spanned generations and impacted the lives of countless people. That’s why EPA is so proud to finalize this long needed ban on ongoing uses of asbestos,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a written statement. 

The rule stands in contrast to action taken under the Trump administration — it sought to require companies to notify the EPA if they planned to manufacture or import asbestos — which could trigger a safety review at the agency. Critics complained the prior administration stopped short of outright banning asbestos. 

In addition to lung cancer, exposure to asbestos is linked to mesothelioma, a rare cancer that’s found in the lung, chest, abdomen and heart, and the lung disease asbestosis. A 2019 study estimated that nearly 40,000 Americans are killed each year from asbestos-related illnesses.

Under Monday’s rule, which was first proposed in 2022 the chlor-alkali sector, which makes chemicals like chlorine for treating water, will have up to 12 years to fully convert their facilities away from asbestos. 

Most sheet gaskets, a type of seal, that contain asbestos will be banned after two years, though for some uses like processing nuclear material, the rule allows five years.  

Automotive breaks containing asbestos, as well as breaks used in oil production, will have six months. 

Health advocates described the rule as a good step, though some raised concerns about the compliance timelines and said all types of asbestos should be banned. 

“Closing the door to chrysotile imports is a historic step, but the EPA rule does not restrict importation and use of five other recognized asbestos fibers,” said Linda Reinstein, an activist whose husband died from mesothelioma.  

“We are alarmed that the rule allows an unnecessarily long transition period and creates inconsistent compliance deadlines for certain asbestos users, which will allow dangerous exposure to chrysotile asbestos to continue for years to come,” added Reinstein, who is the president and co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. 

Updated at 12:26 p.m.