According to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, the Environmental Protection Agency’s regional administrator in Dallas, Texas, Richard Greene, is trying to institute a questionable method of asbestos removal in what he refers to as “neglected urban areas.” This method of removal is known as the “wet method,” in which water is sprayed on the area where asbestos-contaminated materials are being removed.

Asbestos experts across the nation, including EPA scientists, have scrutinized the wet method and have attempted to warn the public that this method is not a proven way of eliminating, or substantially reducing, the risk of asbestos exposure. This is partially because the EPA has neglected to use conventional safeguards to test if the method is actually effective.

Numerous medical professionals and some government agencies have reported that even limited exposure to asbestos has been shown to produce disease later in life. For many decades it had been scientifically established that exposure to asbestos causes a range of terminal diseases, such as asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer. The latter disease is almost always fatal and is typically diagnosed in later stages of development due to an extended latency period. For this reason, mesothelioma treatments tend to be ineffective in curing the disease.

With no solid evidence of the efficacy of the wet method, those concerned for the safety and welfare of the public are alarmed that this method is even being considered. Some ethicists have even commented that the testing of this unproven method in poverty-level, minority communities is an infringement of environmental justice policies. These “neglected urban areas” are essentially serving as a testing ground for the controversial wet method of asbestos removal.

Despite numerous reasons to protect the public from an unproven asbestos removal method, Greene, along with others from the EPA, are pushing for this method to be institutionalized before the Bush Administration leaves office. The Bush Administration has a history of supporting the asbestos industry, and this industry-friendly asbestos removal technique would be much easier to approve under the current administration as opposed to a Democratic-run White House.

Unfortunately, this is not the only political attempt to undermine asbestos safety regulations in the United States. Under pressure from the Bush White House, and subsequently the White House Office of Management and Budget, the EPA proposed an alteration of asbestos regulations that would change the way the agency measures the cancer-causing risks of asbestos exposure.

A scientific panel met with public officials and the EPA on July 21 and 22 in Washington D.C. to discuss the potential regulation changes. The scientific panel, among others in attendance, openly criticized the proposed changes in regulations during the meetings and released an official opinion in early August.

“Not at this time,” read the statement from the Scientific Advisory Board’s asbestos panel, who apparently did not have a change of heart upon further analysis of the EPA’s proposal. Though the EPA does not need approval from the scientific panel to pass the regulation changes, the public denouncement of the proposal is certainly not advantageous for the asbestos industry.

An environmental newsletter on EPA’s website reported the panel’s decision is likely to stall further development of the proposed regulations. Legal counsel for the EPA stated it would be shocking if the agency pursued the issue any further in the near future.

This entry was posted on Friday, August 29th, 2008 at 3:56 pm and is filed under Asbestos Legislation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.