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EPA Asbestos Risk Assessment Is Flawed

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Dangers from asbestos

The dangers from asbestos were identified decades ago; still, the long-awaited Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) draft of its asbestos risk assessment is flawed. The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) is a non-profit independent organization dedicated to alerting the public and government agencies, especially the EPA, about the deadly risks posed by exposure to asbestos. Linda Reinstein, ADAO president, released this statement after reading the EPA’s assessment draft.

“For nearly four years, ADAO and other stakeholders have urged EPA to use the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act to ban asbestos in the United States. The risks of asbestos have been well-documented for decades. As it stands, the draft asbestos risk assessment the EPA has proposed will perpetuate the dangers of asbestos and undermine the chance for the national ban on asbestos the nation desperately needs.”

What are the risks?

Inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to lung cancer, asbestosis, and the deadly mesothelioma. It is a silent killer as it can wait decades, up to 50 years, before it shows up and is diagnosed. These are preventable deaths. Yet, almost 40,000 people die from one of these diseases each year in the United States alone.

Even Bob Sussman, the former EPA Deputy Administrator, states the “EPA’s incomplete and un-protective risk evaluation is a big step back from the decades of high-quality work by government scientists on this extremely dangerous carcinogen.” Sussman also serves as ADAO counsel.

While the US refuses to ban asbestos, nearly 70 countries have – including most industrialized nations. The US continues to import and use tons of raw asbestos every year.

What can be done?

A host of experts and advocates agree that this mineral – asbestos – is a preventable risk for everyone. Asbestos exposure can occur through many circumstances, including job sites, remodeling, old buildings, even makeup marketed to teen girls. As Reinstein states, “The evaluation, as proposed, fails to protect the public from this deadly and knowable threat. EPA continues to drag its feet and has repeatedly put chemical company concerns before protecting the public. We urge them to act, but we can’t afford to keep waiting, which is why we call on Congress to pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN).”

If this concerns you, contact your congressional representative and tell them you want this bill passed.

Johnson & Johnson Discontinue Talc-Based Baby Powder

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After producing baby powder since 1894, Johnson & Johnson will discontinue talc-based baby powder in the United States and Canada. Years of charges their baby powder contained traces of asbestos brought lawsuits and public distrust. J&J suffered a loss in market value along with lessening sales. In 1980, J&J began selling a cornstarch version of the powder in response to the criticism. They will continue to market that product.

The connection between asbestos and talc

Talc is a mineral mined underground, as is asbestos. They are often found in close proximity to each other. The problem occurs because they can be mingled in the mining process.

Asbestos in any amount is not safe. For some women, the continual use over time led to ovarian cancer and for others, mesothelioma, a fatal disease.

Why are there lawsuits?

A congressional investigation uncovered internal documents showing Johnson & Johnson knew for over 50 years their baby powder contained asbestos. This knowledge was not passed on to consumers. Juries in many cases found Johnson & Johnson guilty, awarding large amounts to the plaintiffs. Testing found asbestos in many of the samples. However, Johnson & Johnson testified their testing did not find any trace in the same samples.

Though the product was marketed toward babies, most baby powder was purchased for adult women. As of this March, Johnson & Johnson had 19,400 lawsuits pending which involved the talc baby powder.

J&J decision to discontinue talc-based baby powder

Even as they announced the discontinuation, J&J stood by their assertion that there is no asbestos in their talc. They cite lessening sales caused by misinformation and litigation advertising. It appears they determined the best course for the brand was to remove this baby powder from their lineup of products.

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In a statement, J&J said it “remains steadfastly confident in the safety of talc-based Johnson’s Baby Powder.”

Linda Reinstein, president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Association, published this remark, “Americans should be able to trust they are safe from asbestos. Johnson & Johnson spent decades misleading the public to think their often asbestos-contaminate baby powder was safe when they knew it was not. Today’s announcement that they will stop selling this potentially deadly product is a victory for public health. A small and influential group of chemical companies in America still rely on asbestos and have stood in the way of a national ban of this deadly substance. We can’t wait for them to follow J&J and see the error of their ways. Congress must pass the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN) and ban asbestos once and for all.”

Mountain View Generating Plant Is A Dallas Legacy

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Mountain View Generating Plant is a Dallas legacy, though much of its past had undesirable consequences.  

Mountain Creek Lake sounds like such a pleasant place to relax and enjoy the scenery. In actuality, the lake was built, not for relaxation, but as a cooling reservoir for the Mountain View, more generally known as Mountain Creek, power plant. The plant was built starting in 1938, with additional units built in 1945, 1949, 1956, 1958, and 1967. Through the years, it was also called the Dallas Power and Light Mountain Creek Station, Mountain Creek Steam Electric Station, and Mountain Creek S-E Generating Station.

Mountain View Generating Station
Mountain View Generating Plant early photo.

What was the Mountain View Generating Plant? 

Mountain View was a steam generating power plant that ran turbines, which then generated electricity. Steam plant built in this time period commonly had pipes, steam-lines and steam driven equipment which were extremely hot and therefore were built using asbestos-containing insulation. In addition, gaskets and rope packing were made from asbestos and used on steam flanges and steam powered equipment, like pumps, valves, turbines, and boilers. Steel surfaces also had fireproofing made from asbestos. 

Workers at most power plants through the 1980s were likely exposed to asbestos. In fact, if a power plant was built before 1980, it is almost a certainty that asbestos was in the facility or in the products made there. Because asbestos is comprised of microscopic fibers that are easily inhaled, workers in the plant – and sometimes their families – daily inhaled these fibers, creating a health problem for the future. Asbestos diseases are often fatal, especially mesothelioma. Other diseases include lung cancer and asbestosis. After an individual is exposed to asbestos, it can take 20 to 40 years or more for symptoms to develop. There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos.

What has happened to Mountain View?

In 2018, Exelon Generation Co LLC, going through bankruptcy, sold Mountain Creek along with three other power plants to their creditors.  Two of the generators were retired by that time.

Photo Courtesy of Edwin J. Foscue Map Library, Southern Methodist University

How Does COVID-19 Affect Lung Cancer Patients?

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The novel coronavirus, commonly called COVID-19, primarily affects breathing as it is a respiratory disease. But specifically, how does COVID-19 affect lung cancer patients?

Since there is currently no vaccine or treatment directly targeted for COVID-19, people with lung cancer need to be particularly aware of guidelines for protection strategies against the disease by following CDC directions. There are many causes of lung cancer, but exposure to asbestos is a major cause. Asbestos can also lead to the fatal lung disease, malignant mesothelioma.

How does COVID-19 affect lung cancer patients?

Since people with lung cancer are in one of the more high-risk groups for acquiring COVID-19, know the basics of prevention:

• Practice social distancing – Stay home as much as possible. If outside your home, wear masks and gloves, wash your hands with soap and water before and after any encounter with others or with in-store products for at least 20 seconds, and maintain a minimum of six feet between yourself and others. This includes during doctor visits and other medical appointments.

• Get tested – Since lung cancer classifies as high-risk, get tested if there are new symptoms beyond normal. Others who fall into this category are adults over 65, adults with other serious diseases, and those who are taking chemotherapy drugs or have other immunity issues. Symptoms include a dry cough, trouble breathing, and a temperature of 100.4 or over.

• Speak with a doctor – In all cases, if you or a loved one has lung disease, it is highly recommended to speak with their doctors to determine any guidelines the doctor may suggest for your specific situation. Here you can also access and print an informative handout produced by the Lung Cancer Research Foundation.

Should I really be concerned?

In a word, yes. Currently, the United States leads the world in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. However, the number may be much greater as many people experience COVID-19 with no symptoms. That doesn’t mean they can’t pass the virus on to others, so social distancing is extremely important – especially for high-risk individuals.

Remember, there is no treatment geared specifically for COVID-19 and there is no preventative vaccine. The only protection is squarely on each individual to do their best to follow all CDC guidelines.

What drugs are being used?

Some medications have shown promise but there are currently no COVID-19 specific drugs approved through a completed study.

Vaccines virtually eliminated smallpox and polio in past decades. Scientists are currently working toward developing vaccines that could end, or lessen the effects of, coronaviruses as well. In this month, there are almost 80 vaccine development initiatives ongoing. Best case timeline for vaccine development is 18 months.

Are lung cancer patients more susceptible to COVID-19?

While patients with lung cancer do not appear to be more likely to get COVID-19, if they do acquire the disease, complications are more likely. If a patient is undergoing immunosuppressive treatment, such as chemotherapy, their immune system may not be able to fight it off, however. Cancer patients, overall, should be more vigilant about all the precautions. Following all guidelines provides the best chance of avoiding contraction of COVID-19.

EPA: Asbestos Continues to Pose Unreasonable Risks to Workers

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On March 30, 2020, the United States Environmental Protection Agency released a draft risk evaluation. This assessment confirmed that exposure to asbestos continues to pose unreasonable risks to workers who process or use asbestos-containing sheet gaskets, brake blocks, aftermarket automotive brakes and linings, and other vehicle friction products and gaskets. The EPA also concluded that the processing and use of asbestos-containing diaphragms by the chlor-alkali industry poses an unreasonable risk to the health of workers.

The EPA did not evaluate the risks of so-called “legacy uses” of asbestos, despite a November 2019 court order to do so. Legacy uses are when a substance is no longer used in a particular product, but those products, such as insulation and construction materials, still exist in older buildings. Experts estimate that the biggest source of exposure to asbestos for construction workers, firefighters and the general public is from such legacy products manufactured in the 1970s and earlier.

In the 2019 ruling, the court directed the EPA to consider legacy uses as well as the disposal of asbestos-containing products that are currently found in older buildings. Although the EPA announced that it will evaluate such risks in a supplemental evaluation, it did not specify when.

Exposure to chrysotile asbestos, the most commonly used form of asbestos and the only form evaluated by the EPA in its recent risk evaluation, is associated with the development of lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer of the linings of the lungs and other organs. Chrysotile is currently imported into the US in raw form exclusively for the chlor-alkali industry, according to the EPA. In 2018, the US imported 750 metric tons of raw chrysotile.

The chlor-alkali industry uses asbestos in semipermeable diaphragms. The diaphragms prevent sodium hydroxide from reacting with chlorine and allows the two chemicals to be separated for further processing. Some chlor-alkali facilities use polymer ion-exchange membranes, such as Nafion membranes, as alternatives to asbestos diaphragms.

The EPA’s asbestos draft assessment is the ninth of the first 10 chemical risk evaluations that the agency is conducting under the 2016 revisions to the Toxic Substances Control Act. The EPA faces a June deadline to finalize all 10 evaluations.

Advocacy groups, however, are urging the agency to delay external reviews of some assessments, including asbestos, because many reviewers are preoccupied with other responsibilities related to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Many leading asbestos experts are medical doctors who are overwhelmed with supporting their colleagues and caring for patients as virus cases mount,” leaders of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization wrote in a March 30 letter to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “The asbestos risk evaluation is simply too important for EPA to proceed without the informed and thoughtful participation of leading asbestos experts.”

The EPA declined a request from environmental groups to postpone a March 24–27 meeting of its external advisors to review the agency’s draft assessment with respect to trichloroethylene. Likewise, it intends to hold a virtual meeting of the committee to discuss the asbestos evaluation on April 27–30, 2020. 

Click here for additional information on the EPA’s treatment of risks related to exposure of asbestos under the Trump Administration.