In a move the EPA deemed ‘historic,’ the agency has banned chrysotile asbestos, the only form of the cancer-causing mineral that the U.S. still imports and uses

  • Buffalox@lemmy.world
    492·
    8 months ago

    I’m a bit surprised USA didn’t ban it earlier. But then I looked at our own history, and although Asbestos was banned from some uses like clothing already in 1972, it was only gradually banned from other uses through 20 years where the ban became complete in 1993. So although USA is late to the party, it did take a long time here too.

    I remember there was a huge outrage here about asbestos back in the 70’s, and I thought the ban was complete already back then.
    But there is a huge difference in how dangerous it is, in some building materials it’s apparently relatively safe, that is until it has to be replaced, that’s the dangerous part, where you should be very careful and not do it without careful research on how to do it safely first, maybe preferably hire professionals.

    I remember many years where car brakes whined because asbestos was banned. I wonder how much of that crap was in the air in our cities before that.

    (Denmark)

    • orclev@lemmy.world
      20·
      8 months ago

      Asbestos is safe in the same way old crates of TNT are. That is as long as it remains completely undisturbed and you’re nowhere near it. Also much like old crates of TNT when discovered safely removing it involves a very expensive call to highly specialized removal teams and there’s a high risk of collateral damage in the process.

    • Buelldozer@lemmy.today
      10·
      8 months ago

      I’m a bit surprised USA didn’t ban it earlier.

      Much of it was banned 50 years ago. In 1973 the US used about 800,000 tons of the stuff and by 2023 that was down to ~1,000 tons. The US via the EPA did try and fully ban it back in 1989 when George H.W. Bush was President but a Federal Judge in the 5th Circuit Court blocked the EPA’s effort. So instead we ended up with “almost completely banned”.

      Anyway the specific type that was still legal, the one in the article, has some specialty uses such as creating Sodium Chloride which is necessary for water treatment plants. Chrysotile asbestos still has an exemption in Canada, and other countries, for that very reason.

      Ideally we would have had it completely banned back in '89 or at least by the mid 2000’s like the EU countries but there is some nuance here.