Mesothelioma and other serious diseases are caused by asbestos, a mineral that has long been recognized as a threat to public health. In response to years of advocates urging a ban, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency approved a chrysotile asbestos ban last year, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has granted a motion from the EPA under the Trump administration to pause litigation for six months while the agency reconsiders its decision. The ruling has raised significant concerns about whether the long-held hope for an American asbestos ban will come true.
Mesothelioma Prevention Efforts Stalled by Legal Challenges
Mesothelioma patients, their community, and other advocates have worked for years to encourage a ban on asbestos in the United States. After years of setbacks alternating with progress, there was hope that the ban the EPA approved in March 2024 would be a step toward stopping American companies from manufacturing, importing, processing, and the commercial use of chrysotile asbestos. Though the rule had been viewed as falling short of advocates’ goals, it still provided immediate and phased compliance deadlines for various applications, particularly affecting the chlor-alkali industry—the only sector still importing raw asbestos fibers.
Chrysotile asbestos has been blamed for countless cases of mesothelioma. Though most Americans believe it was banned in the United States years ago, it still appears in thousands of products, including automotive parts, construction materials, gaskets, insulation, and electrical components. There is also a significant risk posed by exposure to legacy asbestos hidden in buildings and infrastructure.
Mesothelioma Advocacy Groups Express Alarm Over Enforcement Delays
While mesothelioma advocacy groups were concerned that the March 2024 ruling didn’t go far enough, industry groups, including chemical manufacturers and trade associations, challenged the ban in the Fifth Circuit, arguing that the EPA under the Biden administration had exceeded its authority under the Toxic Substances Control Act by prohibiting the substance rather than imposing workplace exposure limits. On June 16, 2025, the EPA asked for six months to conduct new rulemaking, with the possibility of going as long as another thirty months to include time for public comment.
While asbestos industry lobbyists, including the American Chemistry Council, support the EPA’s reconsideration, mesothelioma prevention advocates, like the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), strongly oppose the delay, calling the decision a “deadly step backward” and warning that enforcement delays will prolong exposure to the carcinogenic material blamed for approximately 40,000 deaths each year in the United States. They note that “Every 13 minutes, someone in the United States dies from an asbestos-caused disease,” and are especially concerned that the EPA may not enforce the 2024 rule’s bans during the rulemaking process. The Environmental Protection Network, a group representing former EPA officials, has also criticized the planned revision.
Even as the legal battle over an asbestos ban is waged, people continue to be diagnosed with mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases. If you or someone you love has been affected by this carcinogenic material, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net can help. Contact us today at 1-800-692-8608 to learn more.
