US EPA Plans to Reconsider Ban on Cancer-Causing Asbestos

The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is considering lifting the ban on chrysotile asbestos, the last form of asbestos still legally used in the United States, according to recent court filings. This move would reverse the Biden administration's 2024 ban, which aimed to protect public health from asbestos exposure linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other deadly diseases that cause an estimated 40,000 deaths annually in the U.S. The reconsideration follows a petition from the Texas Chemistry Council and may halt enforcement of the ban for several years while a regulatory review process takes place, expected to last about 30 months. Critics, including many Democrats and health advocates, have condemned the decision, highlighting asbestos's extreme toxicity and the historic litigation that bankrupted numerous companies due to asbestos-related illnesses. The potential reinstatement has also drawn international attention, with some pointing out that Russia, a major asbestos supplier, has welcomed Trump's support for the mineral. The Trump EPA claims it will evaluate if permanent workplace protections could mitigate risks instead of maintaining a full ban, but opponents argue this undermines decades of efforts to eliminate asbestos exposure risks in the U.S.