Asbestos Ban at Risk as EPA Reconsiders Rule Change

A recent move by the Trump administration could pause enforcement of a nationwide ban on chrysotile asbestos, a substance linked to over 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S. According to a court filing cited by The New York Times’ reporter Hiroko Tabuchi, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) now plans to reconsider its 2024 ban on the import and use of white asbestos.

Chrysotile, the only type of asbestos still used in the U.S., is banned in over 50 countries due to its strong links to lung cancer and mesothelioma. Despite this, it’s been legally imported for use in roofing, cement, automotive parts, and chlorine manufacturing. The Biden administration had taken a critical step forward by finalizing a ban last year, offering companies up to 12 years to phase out use after lobbying by trade groups like the American Chemistry Council.

Now, that progress may stall for at least 30 months as the EPA re-evaluates the rule. The decision was signed by Lynn Dekleva, a former American Chemistry Council official who previously worked in the Trump administration. The chemical industry supports the delay, claiming it’s grounded in “the best-available science.” But health advocates are outraged.

“This would move the nation backward,” said Linda Reinstein of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, which is planning legal action to preserve the ban. Meanwhile, environmental risks remain real—especially for firefighters and cleanup crews, as seen during recent California wildfires where asbestos in older buildings posed a serious threat.

It’s unacceptable that a known carcinogen still finds its way into our homes, vehicles, and skies. We need to push back. Contact your representatives. Sign petitions. Support full legislative bans on asbestos imports. Protect health—not industry.

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