From AAIA Capital Report
WASHINGTON, DC — The Senate passed by unanimous consent on Oct. 3, the "Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007" (S. 742). Introduced by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), S. 742 would amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promulgate regulations prohibiting the importation, manufacturing, processing or distribution of asbestos-containing materials. The ban would include use of asbestos in automotive brake pads and linings, roofing materials and cement.
The bill would also amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to establish an asbestos-related disease registry and to require the National Institutes of Health to establish an asbestos-related disease research treatment network.
If enacted into law, EPA would be directed to issue rules to ensure that asbestos products are off the shelves within two years of the bill’s enactment.
