The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to delay and reconsider the United States’ 2024 ban on chrysotile asbestos, the last form of the carcinogen still legally imported.
Hiroko Tabuchi reports for The New York Times.
In short:
- The EPA told a federal court it would take about 30 months to reconsider the rule banning chrysotile asbestos, a mineral linked to lung cancer and mesothelioma and banned in more than 50 countries.
- The rule, enacted in 2024 under President Biden, had included a phased-in ban on the import and manufacture of asbestos, particularly in chemical and automotive uses.
- The move follows industry pressure and includes key personnel with ties to the American Chemistry Council, which supports the delay.
Key quote:
The delay would "move the nation backward, once again putting lives at risk."
— Linda Reinstein, president and co-founder of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
Why this matters:
Asbestos is a known carcinogen, long associated with deadly diseases like mesothelioma and lung cancer. Though U.S. production ended in 2002, the mineral is still imported and used in industries like chemical manufacturing and auto parts. Even small exposures to asbestos fibers — particularly among cleanup crews, firefighters, and workers in older buildings — can lead to illness years later. Countries around the world have moved to ban all forms of asbestos, yet the U.S. has lagged behind, and now risks reversing the limited progress made. Regulatory rollbacks that delay bans on hazardous substances like chrysotile asbestos not only undermine public health protections but also burden future generations with preventable harm and costly cleanup efforts.
Related EHN coverage: Op-ed: The very slow road to banning asbestos
