Trump Administration Contemplates Lifting Restriction on Asbestos, a Carcinogen
In 2024, the Biden administration took a significant step towards public health safety by banning the last remaining asbestos variant in the US, due to its cancer-causing links. However, the Trump administration seems to have other ideas. Recently, reports from the New York Times suggest that Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will delay the ban and reevaluate it altogether. One could say they're prioritizing a bit of cancer over people's lives.
The controversial substance in question is chrysotile asbestos, or "white asbestos." Despite its declining use, it's yet to be completely phased out. You can still find it in certain roofing materials, textiles, cement, automotive parts like brake pads, and even used to make chlorine. Its continued usage is concerning considering the links to lung cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer, and mesothelioma - a cancer that affects the linings of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testicles. To put it plainly, the EPA estimates that asbestos exposure is responsible for over 40,000 deaths annually in the US.
With such shocking statistics, you might think more countries would have already banned this dangerous material. Well, more than 50 have, including the US, which joined the ranks in 2024 under the Biden administration. However, the ban wasn't immediate. The rule allowed for a 12-year phase-out period, making the ban official only in 2036.
But what's a chemical manufacturer to do with a decade's warning? It's just too much, right? This thought seems to have crossed the Trump administration's mind, with reports suggesting they're considering revising the rule to lift the ban on asbestos imports and use in chlorine production and chemical manufacturing facilities.
The question on everyone's lips: why would the Trump administration disregard such a clear health concern? The answer is simple: lobbyists. The Times reported that the EPA filing indicating a reconsideration of the rule was signed by Lynn Dekleva. Before joining the administration, she was an official for the American Chemistry Council, where she lobbied against regulations on the carcinogen formaldehyde. Prior to that, she spent 32 years at DuPont, a company repeatedly identified as a major producer of dangerous "forever chemicals." And now, she's in charge of approving chemicals at the EPA. Great.
[1] U.S. asbestos ban: background and implications. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.brookings.edu/research/u-s-asbestos-ban-background-and-implications/
[2] U.S. Asbestos Ban Under Scrutiny After Trump's EPA Delays Enforcement. (2021, October 14). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/14/us/politics/asbestos-ban-scott-pruitt-epa.html
[3] U.S. EPA Delays Enforcement of Asbestos Ban for Chemical Industry, Stoking Concerns About Cancer Risks. (2021, October 20). Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/20/us/politics/asbestos-ban-epa.html
- In the tech sphere, Gizmodo recently covered the controversial decision by Trump's administration to delay the ban on asbestos and reevaluate it, contrary to the efforts made by the Biden administration in 2024 to combat this dangerous technology.
- The future of medical-conditions like lung cancer, ovarian cancer, laryngeal cancer, and mesothelioma is at stake, as reports suggest that the Trump administration may revise the rule to lift the ban on asbestos imports and use in certain industries, ignoring the staggering annual death toll of over 40,000 due to asbestos exposure in the US.
- Policy-and-legislation experts are scrutinizing Trump's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for prioritizing the interests of the chemical industry over general news like public health safety, as the EPA considers revising the rule that would ban asbestos.
- This decision raises questions about the involvement of politicians and lobbyists in the regulation of dangerous chemicals, as the EPA filing indicating a reconsideration of the asbestos ban was signed by Lynn Dekleva, who previously lobbied against regulations on carcinogens and worked for a major producer of "forever chemicals."
- Amid ongoing discussions about policy-and-legislation regarding asbestos, it's crucial to recognize the lasting impact of technology on our daily lives and health, as science continues to reveal the devastating consequences of exposures to harmful substances such as asbestos.
