Somehow, asbestos is still legally allowed in products. This bill would change that.
The U.S. is one of the only developed countries without a ban on asbestos. A PIRG-backed bill seeks to fix that.
On Sept. 24, U.S. PIRG sent members of Congress a letter of support for the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2021, a bipartisan bill that would ban the use of asbestos, which has been linked to cancer and other serious illnesses. The bill gets its name from Alan Reinstein, who lost his life in 2003 to mesothelioma caused by asbestos exposure. He was one of the thousands of Americans who die every year from exposure to the substance.
“A ban on asbestos is long overdue. We have known for decades this toxin causes serious illness but have failed to act. With thousands of American deaths happening each year because of asbestos, Congress must urgently pass the ARBAN Act,” said Emily Rogers, PIRG’s Zero Out Toxics advocate.
The bill would prohibit the manufacturing, processing or distribution of asbestos and any products that contain it.
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