Today’s post is shared from ewg.com
The
rule announced today by the US Environmental Protection Agency claiming to
strengthen the agency’s ability to restrict certain uses of the notorious
carcinogen asbestos falls short of what is required to fully protect public
health, said The Environmental Working Group [EWG] legislative attorney Melanie
Benesh.
The so-called significant new use rule, or
SNUR, restricts uses of asbestos that have already been abandoned by industry.
Instead of outright banning asbestos, the SNUR merely requires manufacturers to
notify and seek approval from the EPA before resuming these uses.
“This new rule makes it more difficult for
industry to resume some abandoned uses of asbestos, but that is a half step at
best,” said Melanie Benesh, legislative attorney at EWG. “Administrator Wheeler
should use the authority under the new Toxic Substances Control Act law and ban
all uses of asbestos. That is the only way the public can trust industry will
never again be able to use this dangerous material that has literally killed
tens of thousands of Americans.”
See also:
The Risks of Asbestos, Russian or Not NYTimes
EPA Removes Part of Libby Asbestos Cleanup from Superfund List EcoWatch
….
Jon L. Gelman of
Wayne NJ is the author of NJ
Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters) and co-author of the
national treatise, Modern
Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thomson-Reuters). For over 4 decades
the Law
Offices of Jon L Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com
has been representing injured workers and their families who have
suffered occupational
accidents and illnesses.
