The Toxic Substances Control Act Science Advisory Committee on Chemicals (SACC) peer review meeting regarding persistent asbestos risks scheduled for April 27 to 30 has been postponed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the meeting was to be virtual, the absence of key members and the importance of the discussion forced the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to put the meeting on indefinite hold. Despite the EPA’s delay of the asbestos review, it serves as a good reminder of the threat of asbestos exposure we still face in this country today. [Read more…] about EPA Delays Asbestos Review Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Environmental Protection Agency
Asbestos Regulations and the Toxic Substances Control Act
When we talk about asbestos regulations, the first one that is commonly brought up is the Asbestos Ban and Phase-Out-Rule, which was an EPA (the US Environmental Protection Agency) ruling targeted directly at banning asbestos. While its comprehensive ruling was short-lived, it was not the first legislation from the EPA about asbestos. The Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976 (TSCA) was a more general rule that empowered the EPA to put requirements and regulations into play when it came to certain materials and substances, including asbestos. In many ways, it provided the groundwork for asbestos control, including regulations for how asbestos contractors work. [Read more…] about Asbestos Regulations and the Toxic Substances Control Act
How the EPA’s Significant New Use Rule Could Affect Asbestos
On June 1st, 2018, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), specifically the Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, proposed a new rule concerning asbestos. This rule, the “Significant New Use Rule” or SNUR had two parts: first blocking some of the currently unregulated uses of asbestos, and then building a new framework for those and other new uses of asbestos to gain formal approval after testing and a safety review by the EPA. For asbestos watchdogs, this is why the SNUR is concerning, as it could potentially bring in new asbestos products into the US for use. [Read more…] about How the EPA’s Significant New Use Rule Could Affect Asbestos
The Rise and Fall of Banning Asbestos: Repeal of the ABPR
It’s a common misconception that in the United States, asbestos use is banned. While there is a patchwork quilt of legislation in place in federal and state levels, there are no single rules or acts that have been issued by Congress or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that completely bans asbestos and Asbestos-Containing Material (ACM). The closest we had was the rule issued by the EPA in July of 1989 called the Asbestos Ban and Phase-Out-Rule (ABPR), which was met with a quick demise less than two years later. In this article, we’ll take a look at why. [Read more…] about The Rise and Fall of Banning Asbestos: Repeal of the ABPR
