The EPA Plans to ‘Reconsider’ Ban on Cancer-Causing Asbestos

Despite the ambitious boasting The objectives of making America in better health, the Trump administration revealed on Monday in the court documents that it was in backpedal on the ban on asbestos cancer cancer.

Last year, under the Biden administration, the Environmental Protection Agency made a long -awaited step for Prohibit the last type of asbestos still used in the United States—The chrysotile asbestos, alias “asbestos white”. While the use of chrysotile asbestos was declining, the dangerous mineral dwelled in various joints, brake blocks, brakes and spare car, other vehicle friction products and certain diaphragms used to make sodium hydroxide and chlorine.

With the ban, the United States has joined more than 50 other countries in the world which had prohibited its use due to health risks. Generally, asbestos is known to cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, ovarian cancer and larynx cancer. The asbestos exhibition is linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the United States each year, the EPA noted at the time.

“Science is clear – Asbestos is a known carcinogen who has serious impacts on public health. President Biden understands that this [is a] A concern that lasted generations and had an impact on the lives of countless people. This is why the EPA is so proud to finalize this long -term prohibition of man on asbestos, “said Michael Redan, administrator of EPA at the time, said in a declaration.

“100% sure”

Although this decision has been decades of manufacturing and welcomed by health supporters, it has always enabled companies a generous period to eliminate the use of asbestos – in some cases up to 12 years. This did not prevent the industry from bringing legal action against the regulations shortly after the announcement of the EPA. The dispute, presented by a number of companies and commercial groups, including the American Chemistry Council, has been underway since then.

Monday, EPA, now under the Trump administration, Documents filed To say that he “now intends to reconsider” the prohibition, and that he “expects this process, including any regulatory change, takes about 30 months”. The EPA asked the court to suspend the court in the meantime. The file included a declaration in support of the reefs of the new deputy assistant administrator of the EPA of the Bureau of Chemical Security and Pollution Prevention, Lynn Ann Dekleva, who worked until last year as A lobbyist And Director of the American Chemistry Council.

As Ars reported last yearHe was always concerned about the fact that another Trump administration strives to overthrow the ban; Trump supports the use of asbestos. In his 1997 book The art of returnTrump wrote that asbestos is “100% sure, once applied“And blamed the crowd for its reputation as a carcinogenic, writing:” I believe that the movement against asbestos was led by the crowd, because they are often companies linked to the crowd that would withdraw asbestos. “”

Trump’s support was welcomed in Russia, a main asbestos supplier in the United States. In 2018, a Russian asbestos company started Asbestos marketing with Trump’s face And a seal reading “approved by Donald Trump, 45th President of the United States”.

This story originally appeared on Ars Technica.