Alongside smoking, asbestos is the twin poster child of lung cancer. It was also one contributor to the growing number of lung disease during the 90’s. Hence, asbestos has been regulated around the 1970’s to protect the people from being exposed to high levels of asbestos.

What agencies regulate asbestos?

There are a lot of agencies out there that have contributed in the making of an asbestos law that regulate this substance but three in particular stand out. The most prominent agencies are these: Occupation Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

EPA and OSHA during the 1970’s

During the 1970’s the health risks posed by asbestos could no longer be denied and so Nixon, by executive order, created the EPA.  A year after that, congress allowed for the formation of the OSHA. Both of these agencies wasted no time in creating an asbestos law which imposed limits in the workplace on exposure to asbestos. They also imposed regulations on other hazardous chemicals.

By 1973 the EPA issued a ban on fire coatings or building insulation products that had more than 1% asbestos in them. More over, on 1975 a ban was issued again for the said substance to not be used in boilers or tanks and also pipes.

In 1978 CSPC entered the picture and also had its fair share in the making of an asbestos law. They had a part in banning dry wall patching compounds that contained asbestos and also other ACM (asbestos containing material)

The fight continues in the 80’s 

The EPA and OSHA were the ones that lead the fight against asbestos use during this time. And they saw it fit to aggressively win the battle since the popularity of asbestos around the 50’s has made it an essential component when it came to around 3000 industrial products. That means that almost all households had asbestos right in their own homes one way or another. Hence, they needed more robust and better asbestos law at that moment.

A twist in the 90’s

Everything seemed to go smoothly with what EPA and OSHA did, but unfortunately there was a loophole in their case. In 1991, the ban was overturned by court since the EPA could not give an alternative compound that was less hazardous or much safer than asbestos. And the sad part about the whole thing is that the verdict on the asbestos law was not even appealed.

What happens now?

Right now asbestos law has been imposed to ban the production and importation of certain products that contain asbestos. Still, there are some products that need asbestos since there isn’t an available alternative. But due to regulations, manufacturers have seen to it that these products will not give off airborne fibers that might be inhaled by someone. The only problem now is with old buildings that have been made during the time the regulations were not yet made. A majority of these old buildings still contain asbestos and might pose a great health risk to anyone who lives there. So if you ever find yourself living in an old house it would be wise to have it inspected.