MesotheliomaWeb Applauds the Introduction of H.R. 6903

H.R. 6903 also known as the "Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevent Mesothelioma Act of 2008" was introduced to the House of Representatives on September 15, 2008.

Introduced by Gene Green (D-TX) who chairs the Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, the bill seeks to close loopholes from the “Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007” which was passed last October.  bill had many language changes that altered and removed key components that would have allowed asbestos products to continue to circulate within the United States.

The road to banning asbestos in America has proven to be a difficult one. Forty countries including the European Union have instituted bans on the material but the United States has been slow to follow their lead.

On July 12, 1989 the EPA issued a ruling that banned most asbestos containing materials. In a subsequent lawsuit their decision was overturned two years later. Since that time many attempts have been made to pass legislation banning the material but until the 110^th Congress, those attempts never really gained any traction within the legislature.

It wasn’t until October 2007 when Sen. Patty Murray, after months of negotiations, was able to put a bill up for vote in the Senate. After it passed it moved on to the house where it must now pass a second vote in order to then be signed into law.

However the committee must move quickly or else the bill will have to be reintroduced because of the transition to the 111^th Congress following the November elections.

We urge all members of Congress to reflect upon the sad legacy of asbestos in the United States and move to ensure this does not continue for another generation.