EPA bans ongoing use, importing of chrysotile asbestos
Chrysotile is the only known type of asbestos still being imported, processed and distributed in the U.S.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a final rule on March 18, 2024, that prohibits the ongoing use and importing of chrysotile asbestos, which is the only known type of asbestos still being imported, processed and distributed in the U.S., the agency reported.
Asbestos exposure is known to cause lung, ovarian and laryngeal cancers as well as mesothelioma, according to the EPA, which reported the substance is linked to more than 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
“Today’s rule is a positive first step to give all Americans a future free of exposure to asbestos — a carcinogen that has killed far too many,” Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) said in a release. “This dangerous substance has been banned in more than 50 countries around the world, and the United States is finally starting to catch up.”
Sen. Merkley added more work is still needed to phase out other asbestos fibers.
Asbestos will no longer be used in oilfield brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes and linings, other vehicle friction products, and other gaskets six months after the effective date of the final rule.
Other parts of the rule will be rolled out in lengthier phases, with the longest transition periods being granted to facilities that process nuclear materials, according to the EPA. For example, the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site has until 2037 to phase out the use of asbestos-containing sheet gaskets, which are utilized in the facility’s nuclear waste disposal process.
Another major use for the hazardous substance is in asbestos diaphragms, which are used in the production processes for sodium hydroxide and chlorine, two chemicals used to disinfect water. The EPA noted there are other ways to disinfect water and produce chlorine.
At present, only eight water treatment plants in the U.S. depend on the chlor-alkali process. The EPA said five of these facilities will transition away from asbestos diaphragms within five years. A non-asbestos membrane technology will be used instead.
The agency is also granting longer phase-out periods for companies with multiple facilities that need to make the transition to non-asbestos membranes. Companies will have five years to convert their first facility, eight years to convert their second and 12 years to convert a third.
Further, most sheet gaskets made with asbestos will be banned two years after the effective date of the final rule. There will be a five year phase out for sheet gaskets used in the production of titanium dioxide and for the processing of nuclear material, with the exception of the Savannah River site.
The rule was the first to be finalized under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substance Control Act. The amendments instated “requirements and a mandate to comprehensively prioritize and evaluate the risks of chemicals and put in place strong and timely health protections against any unreasonable risks,” according to the EPA.
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