U.S. Senate Likely to Restore Roadblocks to Asbestos Ban

An obscure piece of legislation being considered by the Senate will likely be passed, in effect killing any further efforts to ban the use of asbestos in the United States. In fact, this bill will make it incredibly difficult – maybe even impossible – to protect the health of consumers as well as the general public.

The “License to Kill” Bill

The Regulatory Accountability Act – referred to by critics as the “license to kill” bill – has already passed the House of Representatives and is very likely to easily pass the Senate as well. Once it does, just about all observers believe President Trump will sign it into law. Not only is he on record as supporting asbestos use, he has traditionally been a friend of the asbestos industry.

Critics are profoundly upset, and for several reasons.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned asbestos use, but a federal court overturned that ban in 1991. The reason cited by the court was that the EPA hadn’t considered other measures that would place less of a burden on businesses. Fast forward to 2016, when President Obama signed legislation that essentially would have removed the obstructions that had been placed in front of the EPA ban.

The RAA would bring back those roadblocks, basically making it okay for asbestos use to continue in the U.S. Critics also say the RAA will basically block any federal agency from issuing any rules regarding the safety of the public. It would create a maze of hurdles that would make it impossible for any proposed rule to get through.