Earlier this week, while skimming my newsfeeds, I came across an example of why you should not believe everything you read. During the past year, several companies that products made knowingly with asbestos declared bankruptcy to avoid their responsibility to compensate those they killed. The Reuters wire service story included a June 7 about the most recent, called Garlock Sealing Technologies, which manufactures fluid sealing products such as gaskets used in the plumbing industry.
At one point, the article shows that asbestos was banned by the US government.
This is wrong. Asbestos is not banned. Not in the United States not Canada. In fact, Canada is the second largest exporter of asbestos and the US is its main customer, according to the US Geological Survey. There was an effort to ban asbestos with the Ban Asbestos in America Act sponsored by US Senator Patty Murray, but companies, special interest groups and their lobbyists have fought every year for several years.
research directly links asbestos exposure to deadly diseases such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. The government has recognized the danger in the long term associated with asbestos exposure by imposing training guidelines, such as wearing hazardous materials suits, to ensure its safe removal of buildings. The irony is obvious when you consider that last year the United States still exported 715 tons of this deadly poison, which kills 10,000 Americans each year, to be used in shingles, brake pads and other devices household.
More than four decades ago, the Environmental Protection Agency declared asbestos, a known carcinogen, and yet we still import in 2010?
it is difficult to convince the public of a total ban is necessary when they already believe it is forbidden. Even politicians believe that a ban is in place. As Simmons attends international law firm of 2010 the Research Foundation Mesothelioma Symposium on Malignant Mesothelioma Applied this week, I remember a story of the event last year
Everything advocating more mesothelioma research dollars on the hill, a. Mesothelioma victim had an argument with their MP about whether asbestos was banned. Congressman, like most people, took asbestos had long been banned by the US government. You can imagine the surprise of Congress during a quick internet search showed he was wrong.
bankruptcy does not make them responsible. It is a slap on the wrist. These businesses fail because they have knowingly produced a product that poisons people, and they do not want to take responsibility for their actions. It allows these companies to continue to earn profits while avoiding their responsibility to compensate the people they killed.
bankrupt does not prevent others to continue developing diseases related to asbestos. It does not give closure to people who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma or lung cancer from asbestos induced. Ban asbestos does.
But you should not believe everything you read. Click here to learn more about what you can do to ban asbestos.
