Labor Attorney Philadelphia

Labor Attorney Philadelphia

Labor Attorney Philadelphia

Asbestos refers to bundles of heat, chemical and fire-resistant fibers consisting of a group of naturally occurring silicate compound minerals. Used widely in all types of industries including vehicle manufacturing, construction and shipbuilding throughout North America since the late 1800s, it was first identified as a problematic material in the 1970s. Mesothelioma victims may have developed the disease after exposure to asbestos.

Environmental Protection Agency Asbestos Ban on New Uses

According to the National Cancer Institute's Asbestos Exposure and Cancer Risk fact sheet, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission realized at the time that asbestos fibers could be released into the environment during use in gas fireplaces and wallboard patching compounds. They banned the use of asbestos in these products, with a voluntary ban by some manufacturers of other asbestos products following into the 1980s.

The EPA banned all new uses of asbestos in 1989. However, the product had been widely used across the country to that point; domestic consumption of asbestos in 1973 alone was about 803,000 metric tons. Several agencies, including the EPA and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have since classified asbestos a carcinogenic agent, a substance that causes cancer. (Report on Carcinogens, Eleventh Edition. National Toxicology Program, 2005).


  • Labor Attorney Philadelphia

    Labor Attorney Philadelphia

    Labor Attorney Philadelphia

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