The EPA is pushing back against numerous “inaccurate” media reports claiming the agency is etching out new rules effectively legalizing all forms of asbestos production.
Multiple reports suggesting the agency is giving manufacturers the go-ahead with asbestos production appears to be grossly overblown, according to the federal registry.
The EPA is tightening regulatory scrutiny on new uses of the chemical, which is heavily restricted but not banned in the U.S.
“The press reports on this issue are inaccurate,” EPA spokesman James Hewitt told The Daily Caller News Foundation. “Without the proposed Significant New Use Rule (SNUR) EPA would not have a regulatory basis to restrict manufacturing and processing for the new asbestos uses covered by the rule.”
He was referring to what is called a Significant New Use Rule (or SNUR), a rule forcing manufacturers to notify the EPA if they intend on producing a product with chemicals from asbestos. The industry could produce and use asbestos for any reason save for the SNUR, according to the agency.
Hewitt added: “The EPA action would prohibit companies from manufacturing, importing, or processing for these new uses of asbestos unless they receive approval from EPA.” The agency’s new administrator, Andrew Wheeler, responded Wednesday with a similar complaint on Twitter.
“There have been some inaccurate media reports regarding @EPA‘s actions on asbestos,” Wheeler tweeted to his followers. “The facts are @EPA is proposing a new rule that would allow for the restriction of asbestos manufacturing and processing of new uses of asbestos.”
https://twitter.com/EPAAWheeler/status/1027248221251416064
Online media outlet Fast Company reported in a July 31 article that “Trump’s EPA has made it easier for companies to begin using asbestos again.” The publication’s author, Aileen Kwun, went on to highlight what she believes to be a parade of horribles if the agency degrades rules limiting the use of asbestos.
The U.S. restricts the use of the material, but it remains one of few developed nations that has refrained from banning asbestos outright. Activists have long-sought-for an outright ban, according to Competitive Enterprise Institute analyst Angela Logomasini.
“A lot of uses of the dangerous types of asbestos were banned,” Logomasini told TheDCNF, adding that asbestos-containing short-fibers are regularly used to make car brakes and other important products. “The risks of brake failures would be much higher were it not for certain types of asbestos.”
She noted that the EPA’s SNUR rule makes sense considering the considerable risk. “What the EPA is saying is that if you are going to do a new use, you need to come to us to check if it is something that will need tighter restrictions,” Logomasini said. “The ones that we use now are very short fibers – doesn’t mean they are not dangerous. Just means you can manage their risks easier.”
Read more at Daily Caller
We don’t hear much about it, but the synthetic materials that have replaced asbestos require the same personal protective equipment that asbestos does.
Since 99% of the news we read or hear is FAKE NEWS then whats printed in the pages of the New York Pravda(times)is LIES LIES LIES RRAAWWKK SQUAWK SKREEEE SKREET
Imagine that – the media is reporting falsehoods; someone please edit their content and link them to the EPA like YouTube does to ours.
I do find it interesting when one media source (this website) claims that all others are producing ‘fake news’.
This site has just as much ability to print utter nonsense as the next website.
Now take a take a deep breathe and rest easy because:
““The ones that we use now are very short fibers – doesn’t mean they are not dangerous. Just means you can manage their risks easier.””
Phew, I was worried for a minute!