Asbestos Laws and Regulations
Currently, the majority of laws and regulations pertaining to asbestos concern its removal. There is no outright ban on the use of asbestos in products, although its use has been heavily restricted by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA.
The EPA has a number of restrictions on the use of asbestos. For starters, the miracle mineral was one of the first substances controlled by Section 112 of the Clean Air Act of 1970. Many of the common applications or uses of asbestos have been eliminated or forbidden by the Toxic Substances Control Act, TSCA.
The lack of a complete ban on the use of asbestos does not exist because there has been a lack of trying on the part of the EPA. In 1989, the EPA did ban the use of asbestos completely but this ban was later turned over by a Court of Appeals in 1991. However, there are some uses that are still completely banned like flooring felt, rollboard, corrugated, commercial, or specialty paper. “New uses” of asbestos are also completely banned.
The Code of Federal Regulations, or CFR, has a number of topics that address asbestos in a few locations. 40 CFR Part 763 is the general area of regulations concerning asbestos. Subpart E of this document pertains to asbestos-containing materials located in schools. Subpart G addresses asbestos work protection, and subpart I details the prohibition of the manufacture, importation, processing, and distribution in commerce of certain asbestos-containing products. The labeling requirements for any product that contains asbestos are also addressed here.
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