Asbestos causes mesothelioma, and advocates have spent decades attempting to get the material banned and protect against future exposure. Now, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is looking for input from the public and experts alike to develop a new regulation addressing legacy uses of the mineral, focusing specifically on exposures that occur when asbestos-containing materials in existing buildings and infrastructure are disturbed during renovation, demolition, and repair work.
Mesothelioma Risk from Legacy Asbestos Drives New Data Collection Effort
The EPA’s request for information targets a significant mesothelioma concern — legacy uses and associated disposals of both chrysotile and non-chrysotile asbestos fiber types. The agency’s 2024 risk evaluation agreed that the risk from unprotected handling and disturbance of legacy asbestos was unreasonable. It triggered a statutory requirement for EPA to undertake a risk management rulemaking that could protect millions of workers and building occupants from fibers contaminating countless buildings across the country.
The EPA is seeking real-world information from workers, building owners, states, tribes, industry, and communities to identify where people are actually being put at risk of mesothelioma through exposure to legacy asbestos and to build a defensible regulation that will withstand legal challenge. “Exposure risk arises whenever asbestos-containing materials are disturbed—during renovation, demolition, or repair—which is precisely where EPA is focusing its data collection,” the agency stated. Responses are due August 24, 2026, and the EPA has stated it will propose the Asbestos Part 2 risk management rule by June 3, 2027.
Mesothelioma Advocates Have Already Sued EPA Over Missed Regulatory Deadlines
The EPA’s announcement comes after a troubled regulatory history regarding asbestos and protections against mesothelioma. The agency’s landmark 1989 rule that would have banned nearly all asbestos-containing products was overturned by a federal appeals court in 1991, and that created a decades-long halt to regulation. In 2016, amendments were made to the Toxic Substances Control Act, with asbestos frequently cited as the clearest example of why legislative change had been needed.
After the EPA missed its deadline for the Asbestos Part 2 risk management rulemaking, mesothelioma advocacy group the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization filed suit. Now, the agency has asked for an additional year on top of a deadline it already missed by 1.5 years. ADAO has signaled it will oppose further delay. The organization and others hope that a future rule will include worker protections they’ve repeatedly argued are decades overdue.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, the Patient Advocates at Mesothelioma.net are here to help. For information, contact us at 1-800-692-8608.
