Trump Administration EPA Reviewing Asbestos Ban

A little more than one year after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a ban of the most popular type of asbestos, the historic decision is being reconsidered and may be reversed.

Such are the ebbs and flows of the EPA’s stances on health and science with changes to the presidency.

The decision to reconsider the ban was publicized by several media outlets, which cited a court filing on Monday, and criticized by health advocates. The Trump Administration EPA claims it will review the merits of the ban, which included provisions allowing specific industries a phasing-out period to find alternatives to asbestos.

Asbestos is a natural mineral found in the earth’s soil. There are six types of asbestos. The most common type is called chrysotile asbestos, or “white asbestos”, and was the only one imported and used in the United States as of 2023. The EPA announced in 2024 a ban of importing, manufacturing, selling and using chrysotile asbestos.

 

Using Asbestos in the U.S.

Asbestos rose to prominence in the United States during the heart of the 20th century, initially in the 1930s and 1940s during the industrial era. The mineral resists heat, electricity and damage from chemicals, water and other environmental factors.

Production of ships and aircraft for World War II amplified the need for asbestos. By the 1950s, asbestos was lauded as a magic mineral in the construction of homes, schools, hospitals, offices and more. It insulated everything from household appliances to sewage pipes.

All the while, asbestos was laying the groundwork for the emergence of a cancer called mesothelioma.

 

Why Was Asbestos Banned?

Asbestos was banned for health reasons. The mineral can cause severe diseases, including aggressive types of cancer. Exposure to asbestos is the only cause of mesothelioma. This cancer forms in the linings of the lungs, abdominal cavity or heart. These linings collectively are called the mesothelium.

When asbestos fractures from manmade disturbance (cutting, sanding, grinding, or other construction or repair jobs) or environmental factors (wind, water and more), tiny fibers are released into the air.

People can breathe in or swallow the fibers when living or working in enclosed spaces, and the fibers can get trapped in the mesothelium linings and irritate tissue cells. This is the beginning of cancer forming, although it takes at least 15 years and as long as 60 for a tumor to form and start aggressively spreading.

Mesothelioma is diagnosed in approximately 3,000 people in the U.S. each year. Asbestos is blamed for an estimated 10,000 cases of lung cancer annually. Asbestos can also cause ovarian cancer.

By the 1970s, scientists learned of these harmful effects from asbestos exposure. By the 1980s, the general public was more aware. Manufacturers and other companies shifted from using asbestos due to the known health concerns, plus legal filings from victims.

Still, the U.S. resisted outright banning asbestos. The mineral kept its place in specific industries, such as chlorine production.

 

Proposed Ban and New Challenge

In the final year of Joseph Biden’s presidency, the EPA adopted a ban on the import, manufacturing and use of chrysotile asbestos. It was the first official ban of any type of asbestos since the 1980s, when the mineral was temporarily outlawed.

The proposed ban outlawed most uses immediately. Some industries received grace periods to transition to substitutes.

Chlor-alkali companies use asbestos in diaphragms. Eight factories that produce chlor-alkali have up to 5 years to transition away from asbestos.

Other ongoing uses include:

• Asbestos sheet gaskets (2 years to phase out, aside from special circumstances)
• Asbestos in oilfield brake blocks, aftermarket automobile brakes and linings, other vehicle friction products and other gaskets (6 months to phase out)

Now, the Trump administration plans to delay and reconsider the ban. With a new presidency comes new officials in charge of the EPA, and these officials appear to have much different views on the dangers asbestos poses even in the limited industries still using the mineral.

The review process is expected to take an estimated 30 months, which likely pauses the phasing out timeline for the chlor-alkali and sheet gasket industries. According to the court filing, the EPA will reconsider reversing the ban on asbestos in chlorine production and sheet gaskets in chemical manufacturing.

The U.S. stopped mining for asbestos in 2002. Up until 2023, the country still imported metric tons of the mineral from other countries, mostly Brazil.