The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday a ban on chrysotile asbestos, a carcinogen currently used or imported in the United States.
“With today’s ban, EPA will finally close the door on a highly dangerous chemical that is banned in more than 50 countries,” said EPA Administrator Michael Regan. statement. “This historic ban was more than 30 years in the making and was first introduced in 2016 to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act, the nation’s core law governing the use of chemicals. That’s because of the changes Congress made.”
by Associated Press, chrysotile asbestos, which is commonly found in certain chlorine bleaches, brake pads, and other products, was banned. This substance is also used to make sodium hydroxide, also known as chlorine bleach and caustic soda, and some are used to purify water.
However, exposure to asbestos can cause lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers. The substance is also linked to more than 40,000 deaths each year in the United States.New ban furthers President Joe Biden’s policies cancer moonshotan initiative that aims to reduce cancer deaths by more than 4 million people in the United States by 2047.
“The science is clear: Asbestos is a known carcinogen with serious public health implications. This action is just the beginning to protect all American families, workers, and communities from toxic chemicals.” Mr. Regan said.
The federal government initially tried to ban asbestos in the 1980s, but those efforts were largely defeated in 1991, resulting in “more than 30 years of inadequate protection,” the White House announced Monday.
Hit USA Todaythe EPA announced the ban on Monday as the federal government again passed legislation regulating the chemical.
“Reducing exposure to toxic chemicals protects public health and reinforces President Biden’s commitment to ensuring that all people breathe clean air, drink clean water, and live in healthy communities,” the White House said in a statement. We will move forward.”
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Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to Christian Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
