The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a significant step by announcing a comprehensive ban on asbestos, a known carcinogen that continues to be used in various products, leading to tens of thousands of deaths in the United States annually. This new rule, a result of the 2016 law that revamped regulations concerning toxic chemicals in everyday items, will prohibit the use of chrysotile asbestos, the only remaining form of asbestos used in the country.
Asbestos, found in products like brake linings and gaskets, as well as in the manufacturing of chlorine bleach and sodium hydroxide, poses severe health risks, including lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other cancers. The ban on asbestos aligns with President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, aiming to eradicate cancer in the U.S.
