For Immediate Release: Nov. 3, 2015

Federal OSHA: No “safe” level of asbestos exposure

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The weekend shuttering of the Cannon House Office Building following an asbestos release is a stark reminder of the risks the lethal fiber still poses to those who work in and visit many of the buildings in the Capitol complex, EWG Action Fund notes.

“Asbestos does not discriminate,” said Sarah Grantham, policy analyst at EWG Action Fund. “Many Americans may think that only those in certain professions are at risk of exposure to the deadly material, but as the situation on Capitol Hill shows, asbestos can threaten members of Congress, their staffs and visiting constituents.”

Bridget Bowman reported in the Roll Call newspaper on Monday (Nov. 2) that independent laboratory tests of air samples from the Cannon building had found “some traces” of asbestos.

According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there is no “safe” level of asbestos exposure and “[a]sbestos exposures as short in duration as a few days have caused mesothelioma in humans.”

Mesothelioma, a type of cancer that is only caused by asbestos, attacks the lining that surrounds the lungs, stomach and other organs. Those diagnosed with the disease usually die within months.

Almost all buildings and homes built before the early 1980s likely contain asbestos, which, if disturbed, can release thousands of dust particles into the air. Inhalation of even the smallest amounts of asbestos can cause asbestos-triggered diseases later in life.

A recent analysis by EWG Action Fund estimated that exposure to asbestos kills up to 15,000 Americans a year. Despite a significant reduction in the use of asbestos since the 1980s, the annual number of deaths has held steady for more than a decade because of the long latency period between exposure to the dangerous mineral fibers and the onset of asbestos-related diseases.

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 EWG Action Fund is a 501(c)(4) organization that is a separate sister organization of the Environmental Working Group. The mission of EWG Action Fund is to protect health and the environment by educating the public and lobbying on a wide range of environmental issues. Donations to EWG Action Fund are not tax-deductible.