Trump administration pulls back on plans to rewrite Biden-era asbestos ban
By MICHAEL PHILLIS and ALEXA ST JOHN Associated Press WASHINGTON AP The Trump administration is dropping plans to allow continued use of the last type of asbestos legally allowed in U S manufacturing after an outcry from asbestos opponents The Environmental Protection Agency noted in a court filing Monday that it will now defend the Biden administration s ban of chrysotile asbestos which is used in products like brake blocks and sheet gaskets The carcinogenic chemical has been mostly phased out in the U S but last year the agency under former President Joe Biden sought to finish the decadeslong fight with a comprehensive ban The EPA in disclosed exposure to asbestos is known to cause lung cancer mesothelioma ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer and it is linked to more than deaths in the U S each year Related Articles Noem says first responders in Texas still looking for a lot of little girls missing after flood Trump Media files for Crypto Blue Chip ETF with SEC A look at the countries that received Trump s tariff letters held in Texas immigration detention center shooting that was planned ambush US attorney says Pastors who endorse political candidates shouldn t lose tax-exempt status IRS says in filing The EPA had reported in a federal appeals court filing last month that parts of the ban may have gone beyond what is necessary to eliminate the unreasonable pitfall and that other options such as requiring workplace protection measures might eliminate that vulnerability The agency commented it planned a roughly -month process to write new rules But industry associations have already filed suit against the Biden administration s ban So has the Asbestos Sickness Awareness Organization which fights asbestos-related diseases and believes the ban isn t as airtight as it demands to be The nonprofit opposed pausing the matter so the EPA could revisit the rule arguing that any new proposal would likely be met by lawsuits too All the work that s gone into the current litigation shouldn t be wasted the nonprofit reported And a pause would also mean a delay in the rule s implementation Lynn Ann Dekleva the agency s deputy assistant administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Corruption Prevention explained in a Monday filing that the EPA won t go through a process to rewrite the rule The EPA now says the Biden administration failed to adequately protect chemical industry workers from fitness risks posed by chrysotile asbestos To remedy the previous Administration s approach we notified the court that we intend to reconsider the applicability of interim workplace protection requirements during the replacement of asbestos gaskets for all workers EPA Press Secretary Brigit Hirsch announced in a report Linda Reinstein president and CEO of the Asbestos Infection Awareness Organization announced she was elated the EPA isn t going to reconsider the Biden administration s ban She speculated that the EPA didn t like community reaction to its position But she announced the EPA s new report doesn t make sense the EPA should be talking about a ban not workplace protections and it should be protecting all workers not just those involved with gaskets The New York Times was first to assessment the growth Chrysotile asbestos is discovered in products such as brake blocks asbestos diaphragms and sheet gaskets and was banned under the Toxic Substances Control Act which was broadened in The Biden administration disclosed it moved forward with a ban after decades of inadequate protections and delays in setting better standards The EPA s previous move to reconsider the ban had been among dozens of deregulatory actions in the first months of the Trump administration This is just the beginning of the society backlash against the Trump administration s plans to roll back standards that protect the air we breathe and the water we drink disclosed Michelle Roos executive director of the Environmental Protection Setup Populace robustness is not up for negotiation The American Chemistry Council arrangement group declined to comment St John stated from Detroit The Associated Press receives encouragement from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental guidelines The AP is solely responsible for all content For all of AP s environmental coverage visit https apnews com hub climate-and-environment
