The US Environmental Protection Agency has issued a final rule banning ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos, the only known form of asbestos currently imported, processed or distributed for use in the US . It is used in water and wastewater treatment systems, pipe and machinery joints and other applications. , chrysotile asbestos has long been linked to several types of cancer and mesothelioma, causing more than 40,000 deaths in the US each year, according to the agency.
In addition to setting compliance deadlines for manufacturers to transition from each use of chrysotile asbestos, the EPA also requires strict workplace safety measures to protect workers from asbestos exposure during phase-out periods of more than two years. Asbestos removal work must be performed in accordance with industry standards, Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements, and national asbestos emission standards for air pollutants dangerous You also need to keep a record.
Although the overall use of new asbestos-containing materials has declined over the past few decades, the EPA says that raw chrysotile asbestos was imported into the United States through 2022 for use by the chlor- alkali, which uses asbestos diaphragms to produce water and wastewater disinfectants. sodium hydroxide and chlorine. Under the new EPA rule, the eight remaining chlor-alkali facilities in the United States that use asbestos must transition to asbestos-free diaphragms or asbestos-free membrane technology as soon as possible.
The agency expects five of the facilities to convert to asbestos-free diaphragms within five years, a period it believes will avoid interruptions in the supply of chlorine for water purification applications.
Recognizing that converting existing chlor-alkali plants to asbestos-free technology requires extensive construction, permitting, and specialized expertise, as well as limited availability of necessary parts and equipment, EPA has established a phased transition schedule of five to 12 years for manufacturers with multiple facilities, along with a requirement to certify their continued progress with the agency.
The EPA rule also bans most asbestos-containing sheet metal gaskets by March 2026, with a five-year phase-out of sheet metal gaskets used to produce titanium dioxide and for material processing nuclear The U.S. Department of Energy’s 310-square-mile Savannah River site in South Carolina may continue to use asbestos-containing sheet metal joints through the end of calendar year 2037 to maintain the mass removal project safely and protect workers from exposure to radioactive materials.
Other uses of asbestos (oilfield brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes and linings, and other vehicle friction and gasket products) are due to phase out by mid-September 2024.
Sean McGarvey, president of the North American Construction Unions (NABTU), praised the action, noting the long-standing vulnerability of construction union members to asbestos-related illnesses.
“Construction workers who build, maintain and demolish buildings in these industries will be spared potentially life-threatening exposures,” McGarvey said in a statement, adding that “workers with exposure throughout the chain of supply” will also benefit.
The new asbestos rule is the first to be finalized under the 2016 amendments to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), which strengthened the EPA’s regulatory authority after a decision by the Fifth US Circuit Court of Appeals that largely struck down the agency’s original 1989 ban on the material. Under the TSCA amendments, EPA must comprehensively prioritize and evaluate chemicals and establish timely health protections against any unreasonable risks.
In a separate risk assessment, EPA is evaluating other types of asbestos fibers in addition to legacy uses and the associated disposal of chrysotile and asbestos-containing talc). The agency plans to publish this draft risk assessment soon, with a final risk assessment to be published by December 1, 2024.
EPA is also advancing proposals to address long-recognized cancer and other health risks from commercial and industrial chemicals such as methylene chloride, carbon tetrachloride, perchlorethylene, and trichlorethylene, all of which are used in commercial and industrial environments. In addition, the agency has proposed a rule to strengthen its process for conducting risk assessments of toxic chemicals, including carcinogens.
