ADAO and EWG Findings: Asbestos imports increased as Trump’s White House activated to keep A Deadly Carcinogen legal | New Government Data: Asbestos imports increased by 2000% between July and August.
As President Donald Trump’s industry-friendly Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) takes steps to loosen restrictions on the commercial use of asbestos—which is known to cause cancer and lung disease—an analysis of federal data published Tuesday found that asbestos imports to the U.S. surged by nearly 2,000 percent between July and August of last year.
According to the U.S. International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce, the U.S. imported 272 metric tons of asbestos in August alone, compared to 13 metric tons in July.
The surprising increase is an important indicator that the industry is not concerned that President Trump and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will take steps to ban or even reduce the use and import of asbestos/asbestos.
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), a nonprofit group dedicated to preventing asbestos exposure through education, advocacy, and community work in the United States, announced new findings through research by Dr. Jukka Takala, President of the International Commission on Occupational Health (ICOH).
The findings, released at the 14th Annual Asbestos Disease Awareness Conference in Washington DC, report a dramatic increase in asbestos-related deaths, underscoring the escalation and critical need for a ban on asbestos.
According to Dr. Takala’s research, asbestos-related diseases cause 39,275 deaths in the United States annually, more than double the previous estimates of 15,000 per year. Specifically, asbestos causes 34,270 lung cancer deaths, 3,161 mesothelioma deaths, 787 ovarian cancer deaths, 443 laryngeal cancer deaths, and 613 chronic asbestosis deaths.
As the research indicates, “asbestos is a lethal carcinogen, and we see its impact increase worldwide. It is time for the United States to take action and recognize the need for a ban. There is no safe level of exposure.
Despite the WHO call, Fast Company reported that under Trump’s administration, “the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made it easier for companies to introduce new asbestos products in the United States.
Although Asbestos Nation estimates that 55 countries have banned carcinogens, this raises a common question: Has my state banned asbestos?
