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199930 "Ending Asbestos Use in the USA"

Tuesday, November 10, 2009: 5:10 PM

Barry Castleman, ScD , Environmental Consultant, Garrett Park, MD
Linda Reinstein , Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Redondo Beach, CA
The Asbestos Diseases Awareness Organization, APHA, AFL-CIO, and public health workers have been in close contact for years with Senate and House offices in the effort to enact 'ban asbestos' legislation. EPA's 1989 rule to phase out all major uses of asbestos was overturned in court, leaving the matter to Congress. We will discus the main objectives to ban the sale of conventional asbestos products, prohibit the use of minerals with contaminant asbestos in consumer products, protect workers in mining and construction from contaminant-asbestos, and fund educational programs, asbestos-disease treatment centers and research.

Though over 40 other countries have banned asbestos products, the pending US legislation goes farther than others in addressing the issues of contaminant-asbestos; hence, leading to opposition from various influential industries.

We will discuss the history of ban-asbestos legislation, the 2009 Senate and House bills under consideration, and the current state of efforts to enact legislation. Continuing educational grassroots advocacy and education efforts and needs will also be described.

Learning Objectives:
Discuss and Evaluate Pending Asbestos Legislation

Keywords: Legislative, Asbestos

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Congressional Witness, Keynote speaker, Author, Video Director, Assisted in drafting Legislation, Executive Director of Grassroots Advocacy
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Social Justice and Advancing Workers' Rights- Occupational Health and Safety
See more of: Occupational Health and Safety