The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially banned chrysotile asbestos, the last legally used form of the mineral known to cause cancer, marking a significant public health victory.
Anna Phillips reports for The Washington Post.
In short:
- The Environmental Protection Agency's recent ban targets chrysotile asbestos, the only kind still in use in the U.S.
- This decision comes after a 33-year-long legal battle and aims to mitigate the mineral's health risks.
- Annually, asbestos-related diseases result in approximately 40,000 deaths in the United States.
Key quote:
“With today’s ban, EPA is finally slamming the door on a chemical so dangerous that it has been banned in more than 50 countries.”
— Michael Regan, EPA administrator
Why this matters:
Inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to severe lung conditions, including asbestosis (a chronic lung disease), lung cancer, and mesothelioma—a rare and aggressive cancer primarily affecting the lining of the lungs or abdomen. These health issues arise because asbestos fibers, once inhaled, can become lodged in lung tissues, leading to inflammation, scarring, and eventually, cancer.
In 2020, Derrick Z. Jackson argued that the failure to ban asbestos has resulted in widespread and potentially deadly chronic risks that reach down to our youngest citizens and their teachers.
