After you develop an illness because of your exposure to asbestos, you may want to make sure that no one else has contact with this substance. The Environmental Protection Agency has increasingly recognized the danger of asbestos and taken steps to keep it away from the public.
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, it has been illegal to use asbestos in certain products since 1989. People cannot make and distribute flooring felt and rollboard that contains asbestos. Certain kinds of specialty and commercial paper may contain this substance, and the 1989 law officially prohibited people from distributing contaminated products.
Continued regulations
The 1989 law is not the only one that regulates asbestos products. The EPA announced a new rule in 2019 with tighter restrictions. Under the new regulations, companies cannot manufacture new products that contain asbestos until they receive permission from the EPA. The EPA has to review the product to determine if it poses a risk to consumers. If the product is safe for use, then the Agency may write restrictions so that companies use it safely. However, the EPA can ban companies from putting products on the market if they may harm people’s health.
Banned products
One of the strengths of the 2019 regulation is that people cannot bring products banned by the 1989 law back to the market. Additionally, it stipulates that people cannot sell products known to contain asbestos. This restriction includes the following products:
- Roofing felt
- Certain cement products
- Packing materials
- Vinyl-asbestos floor tiles
- Certain roof coatings and sealants
Asbestos use in these products has had a detrimental effect on people’s health. Banning these materials is one step that can help keep people safe.
Regulations can help keep the general public safe. However, you may still have received exposure to asbestos before these regulations took hold.
