Citing Public Health Threat, New Zealand Will Ban Asbestos Imports
“The American people deserve the same health-protective policies that New Zealand and 55 other countries already have in place. It’s absurd that we continue to allow asbestos to come into the United States," Sarah Grantham, a policy analyst at EWG Action Fund said.
Asbestos Still Flows into U.S. Ports For Immediate Release: August 27, 2015 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The government of New Zealand announced this week that it will take the final steps to ban importation of asbestos-containing materials. In a press statement, New Zealand’s Environment Minister, Dr. Nick Smith, said: Asbestos is a recognised carcinogen, poses risks o...
Asbestos Still Flows into U.S. Ports
For Immediate Release: August 27, 2015
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The government of New Zealand announced this week that it will take the final steps to ban importation of asbestos-containing materials.
In a press statement, New Zealand’s Environment Minister, Dr. Nick Smith, said:
Asbestos is a recognised carcinogen, poses risks of respiratory disease and is a leading cause of work-related disease and mortality. The importation of raw asbestos is completely banned already in New Zealand, but there is currently no ban on products that contain asbestos, which would bring New Zealand’s regulations into line with that of many other countries.
Asbestos is no longer mined in the United States, but it is still legal. At least 8 million pounds of raw asbestos and asbestos-containing materials have been imported since 2006, according to a report by EWG Action Fund.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen that can cause a number of painful and debilitating diseases and cancers, including asbestosis and mesothelioma. Latest estimates are that up to 15,000 Americans die annually from asbestos-related disease.
“President Obama and Congress should take similar steps to stop importation of asbestos, which kills thousands of people each year in the United States,” Sarah Grantham, a policy analyst at EWG Action Fund said. “The American people deserve the same health-protective policies that New Zealand and 55 other countries already have in place. It’s absurd that we continue to allow asbestos to come into the United States.”
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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.