18th ADAO Congressional Staff Briefing about the "Impact of Asbestos on Public Health, Environment, and Economy" on July 24, 2023

1. LINDA REINSTEIN
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO)
President/CEO and Co-Founder
Linda@adao.us
Congressional Staff Briefing
Impact of Asbestos on Public Health, Environment, and
Economy
July 24, 2023

2. @Linda_ADAO

3. Linda@adao.us
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
ADAO is a registered 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization and does
not make legal referrals.
Education Advocacy Community
Education Advocacy Community
www.adao.us

4. @Linda_ADAO

5. Discussion Points
• Health effects of asbestos exposure, asbestos disease, and
treatments
• Asbestos imports, commercial use, and use in consumer products
• Devastating impact of legacy asbestos in homes, schools, and
buildings
• Chlor-Alkali Industry asbestos imports, use, and transition to non-
asbestos technology
• EPA is NOT proposing a complete ban. Part 1 Chrysotile Asbestos
EPA only proposing ban on 1 form of asbestos (not all six fiber types)
and only 6 specific uses
• The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act of 2023 (S.1069 &
H.R.2402) is a COMPLETE ban on commercial use, a comprehensive
commercial asbestos ban for all six fibers in all uses and includes the
Libby Amphibole
@Linda_ADAO

6. ADAO Online Briefing Resources
• Briefing Executive Summary
• Speaker Biographies
• The Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2023 Materials & Resource Page
• 2023 Asbestos Fact Sheet
• State-by-State Asbestos Mortality Study
• EPA: Economic Analysis of the TSCA Section 6 Proposed Rule for Asbestos Risk
Management, Part 1
• EPA: Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos
• EPA: Asbestos, Part 2: Legacy Asbestos
• EPA: Asbestos Reporting Rule
• 2022 "Carcinogenicity of occupational exposure as a firefighter”
• 2022 "Shift in lung cancer stage at diagnosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in New
York City”
• 2013 NIOSH Study of Firefighters Finds Increased Rates of Cancer
@Linda_ADAO

7. @Linda_ADAO

8. @Linda_ADAO

9. ● July 6, 2023 -- Asbestos Reporting Rule (final)
● July 11, 2023 -- Industry Presses EPA To ‘Reconsider’ TSCA
Asbestos Reporting Rule
● Early 2024 -- EPA Chrysotile Asbestos Part 1 final rule (only bans
one fiber in six conditions of use)
● Late 2024 -- EPA Risk Evaluation for Asbestos Part 2:
Supplemental Evaluation Including Legacy Uses and Associated
Disposals of Asbestos
Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (S.1069 & H.R. 2402)
is a COMPLETE ban on all asbestos fibers in all
commercial conditions use.
Obstacles
@Linda_ADAO

10. @Linda_ADAO
Sponsors
U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and
Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici

11. @Linda_ADAO
Senator Merkley Discusses the Alan Reinstein
Ban Asbestos Now Act (March 30, 2023)

13. Raja Flores, MD
Mount Sinai Medical Center
“More people have died since 9/11 than on 9/11 from
asbestos related diseases.”
Hippocratic Oath
… I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is
preferable to cure.
“Asbestos is deadly. Period.”
@Linda_ADAO

14. Source: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)
@Linda_ADAO

15. Mike Meenan
Olin Corporation
“Olin is the chlor-alkali industry leader, and the actions that
our industry takes are the linchpin to ending the use of
asbestos in this country. Olin has a clear path to end the use
of asbestos, and we encourage the other key asbestos
chlor-alkali player to support Olin’s plan. As only about
seven percent of the chlorine produced in this country is
used for water and wastewater treatment, the asbestos exit
path won’t impact supply to water uses nor even reduce the
total supply of chlorine. It is time to come together and end
the use of asbestos." Scott Sutton, CEO, Olin Corporation
@Linda_ADAO

17. Celeste Monforton, DrPH. MPH
American Public Health Association
“Over 40,000 Americans die each year from asbestos-caused
diseases, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and cancers
of the larynx and ovaries. Asbestos-related diseases are 100%
preventable. To do so, lawmakers must act to prohibit the
import and use of all asbestos.”
“APHA adopted a policy statement in 2019 urging Congress to
ban the importation, manufacture, processing, and distribution
in commerce of asbestos and asbestos-containing products.
The U.S. must catch up to the 70 countries that have already
banned it.”
@Linda_ADAO

18. 2009 & 2019 APHA POLICY
STATEMENTS
The American Public Health Association issued a
policy statement in 2009, and updated in 2019,
which calls on Congress to ban all importation,
manufacturing, processing and distribution of
asbestos and asbestos-containing products.
@Linda_ADAO

19. Greg Russell
International Association of Fire Fighters
“When asbestos becomes airborne when disturbed or
damaged by fire, firefighters can inhale large amounts of
these microscopic fibers, increasing their risk of developing
an asbestos-related disease such as mesothelioma, lung
cancer, and asbestosis.”
“According to the NIOSH Firefighter study, ‘Firefighters
have a rate of mesothelioma two times greater than the
rate in the U.S. population as a whole.’”
@Linda_ADAO

20. NIOSH & LANCET
FIREFIGHTER STUDIES
2013 NIOSH Study of Firefighters Finds
Increased Rates of Cancer
2022 Lancet “Carcinogenicity of occupational
exposure as a firefighter”
@Linda_ADAO

21. Bob Sussman
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
“With leadership from Olin, we have the opportunity to end
asbestos imports by chlor-alkali producers as soon as an
asbestos ban is put in place. Stopping imports by this
industry and assuring a near-term transition to non-
asbestos technology by this one remaining asbestos-using
industry in the U.S. would be a landmark step.”
@Linda_ADAO

22. The Near-term Outlook for an
Asbestos Ban
•EPA nearing goal post in 7-year TSCA process to
address six current chrysotile asbestos uses
•Proposed ban would ban asbestos diaphragms in
chlor-alkali plants in two years
•What will final rule look like?
–Intense industry opposition
–All ongoing uses may not be covered
–Other asbestos fibers outside scope of rule
@Linda_ADAO

23. Benefits of Legislation v. EPA Rule
• No litigation and opportunity for certainty
• Bi-partisan approach to chlor-alkali phase-out
• Immediate end to asbestos imports
• Ban of all six asbestos fibers and the Libby
Amphibole in all conditions of use
• EPA can focus on Part 2 – legacy asbestos use
@Linda_ADAO

24. James Williams, Jr.
American Cancer Society
Cancer Action Network
“Asbestos has been classified as causing cancer by the
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the
National Toxicology Program (NTP), and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA).”
“ACS CAN supports the passage of the Alan Reinstein Ban
Asbestos Now Act of 2023 to protect individuals from
exposure to asbestos, a known cancer-causing agent.”
@Linda_ADAO

25. @Linda_ADAO

26. Linda Reinstein
Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
“Although nearly all U.S. chlor-alkali corporations now
support the transition away from asbestos technology, in
2022, OxyChem imported an estimated 300 metric tons of
raw asbestos for asbestos diaphragms.”
“Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now (ARBAN) Act, an
amendment to EPA TSCA, will ban the six asbestos fibers -
chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, and
actinolite, and the Libby Amphibole (winchite, and
richterite) in all conditions of use.”
@Linda_ADAO

27. @Linda_ADAO