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ADAO CALLS ON EPA TO FINALIZE PART 1 ASBESTOS RULE WITHOUT DELAY IN NEW COMMENTS

ADAO CALLS ON EPA TO FINALIZE PART 1 ASBESTOS RULE WITHOUT DELAY IN NEW COMMENTS

WASHINGTON, DC, US, April 18, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Demands for Delay By a Single Chlor-Alkali Company Should Not Keep Asbestos Use Legal in the United States

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), an independent nonprofit dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure, today submitted comments in response to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Notice of Data Availability (NODA) for its consideration of the Part 1 chrysotile asbestos rule.

The NODA seeks comment on information added to the rulemaking docket after the initial comment period closed on July 13, 2022 and contains presentations by OxyChem and their lobbying association The American Chemistry Council (ACC).

OxyChem stands alone as the remaining chlor-alkali producer still importing raw asbestos into the United States and its unreasonable demand to delay a likely ban of chrysotile asbestos irresponsibly puts lives at risk. Asbestos kills 40,000 Americans every year and has already been banned in nearly 70 countries around the globe.

As ADAO stated in its comments to the EPA, the extreme position taken by OxyChem and ACC — which advocate a 15-year transition period — ignores the much shorter phase-out plan advocated by Olin Corporation, the world’s largest producer of chlorine and caustic soda, and the progress of OxyChem itself in reducing reliance on asbestos and converting to alternative technologies.

“OxyChem and ACC’s demand for a 15-year timeline for ending asbestos use is out-of-touch and irresponsible. Any unnecessary delay in banning the import and use of asbestos puts workers, their families, and communities at risk of deadly asbestos exposure,” said ADAO president and co-founder Linda Reinstein. “Two of the three remaining asbestos-using companies in the United States have already stopped importing asbestos. Along with OxyChem itself, they are on a path to convert to non-asbestos technology. The industry needs to redouble its efforts and get the job done as soon as possible” she concluded.

“EPA should build on the positive trends we have seen in the industry and set a compliance deadline for the Part 1 rule that is as rapid as possible in ending reliance on outdated asbestos technology,” added Robert Sussman, a former EPA senior official and ADAO counsel.

The full comments as submitted to the EPA can be downloaded here.

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About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is a global leader in combining education, advocacy, and community initiatives to prevent and end asbestos exposure. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. ADAO, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, does not make legal referrals. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.

Tracy Russo
Asbestos Disease Awareness Org
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