EPA Disregarded Its Own Scientists’ Warnings When It Issued Restrictions But Not A Ban On Asbestos
EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said when the rule was issued that it would significantly strengthen public health protections. But in the memos dated Aug. 10, more than a dozen of the agency's own experts urged the EPA to ban asbestos outright, as do most other industrialized nations.
The New York Times:
E.P.A. Leaders Disregarded Agency’s Experts In Issuing Asbestos Rule, Memos Show
Senior officials at the Environmental Protection Agency disregarded the advice of their own scientists and lawyers in April when the agency issued a rule that restricted but did not ban asbestos, according to two internal memos. Because of its fiber strength and resistance to heat, asbestos has long been used in insulation and construction materials. It is also is a known carcinogen. Last month’s rule kept open a way for manufacturers to adopt new uses for asbestos, or return to certain older uses, but only with E.P.A. approval. (Friedman, 5/8)
