Document 4qQbx4w7JGQpvopqgQ20Z9Jj

fBad stuff': U.S. moves to phase out asbestos products SAGINAWMICHIGAN-Oct. J9Sf By Newhouse News Service already has been used, whether in WASHINGTON - Four products brake linings or buildings or what that contain asbestos -- and ac ever. And what do We do about count for about 50 percent of the continued use of asbestos." cancer-causing mineral used in Ruckelshaus said the phaseout manufacturing today -- are likely was the more significant action to be banned by the federal govern because it would cover products ment by the end of the year. Use of that consumers come into contact remaining asbestos products is ex with daily. pected to be phased out over the "The question is: Can you pro next 10 years. duce products using asbestos that Two proposals developed by the essentially lock the asbestos (fi federal Environmental Protection bers) in (place) so it does not be Agency have been under review by come a threat?" Ruckelshaus said. ` the Office of Mangement and Bud EPA is studying a recent request get for several months. OMB has from the Natural Resources De questioned the ban and phaseout fense Council, an environmental action as too costly. law group, to ban asbestos in brake The ban on four product categor linings. ies includes cement pipe and fit Asbestos has been in widespread tings where asbestos is used as a use thoughout the country for sev t strengthener; roofing felts, the eral decades. For many years, it long rolls of black tar-like paper on was used as insulation for build which roofing asphalt is poured; ings, where it now presents a flooring felts (and felt-backed floor health threat. sheets), which An estimated 15 million children are similar to and 1.4 million school workers are roofing felts but threatened by asbestos that is dete used between the riorating in thousands of the coun sub-floor and the vinyl to prevent try's schools. rotting; and floor tile, in which the EPA is implementing the Asbes asbestos is mixed with the vinyl. tos School Hazard Abatement Act EPA maintains that these pro of 1984. Under provisions of the ducts account for about 50 percent law, EPA is required to make of the asbestos used in manufactur grants and loans available from ing today and "can be replaced by ISO million appropriated by Con readily available, competitively gress to remedy asbestos problems priced substitutes," according to a in schools. The money will be avail- ; draft EPA notice to be published in able beginning in June 1985. It the Federal Register. probably will cost about $2 billion Bob Pigg, executive director of to remedy asbestos problems in the Asbestos Information Associ schools across the country and will ation, an industry trade group be paid for primarily by local composed of asbestos miners, districts. manufacturers, and fabricators in EPA randomly sampled 231 com North America, said his group op mercial and federal buildings and poses the proposed EPA ban and residential apartments and con phaseout. cluded that 20 percent of these The phaseout is expected to cov buildings -- or 700,000 nationwide er hundreds of other products -- contain materials with asbestos. ; ranging from brake linings and Asbestos comes from a group of ' clutch plates, gaskets, undercoat minerals known as silicates, that ing of cars and the top of baseball can be separated into thin, strong dugouts, to name a few. fibers. If the fibers are breathed in, Asbestos used in most products they are likely to remain in the can be replaced by fiberglass or body for a lifetime. organic fibers such as aramid. Asbestos is an undisputed human No final decison has been carcinogen. The fibers cause lung reached on the ban or phaseout, cancer; asbestiosis, a chronic but EPA Administrator William D. scaring of the lungs that makes it ) Ruckelshaus said he is confident more difficult to breathe; and ' the agency will be able to take mesothelioma, a cancer of the action by the end of the year under membranes that line the chest and the Toxic Substances Control Act, abdomen. People almost never the country's major chemical-con survive mesothelioma and people trol law. who have not been exposed to as "Asbestos is bad stuff," Ruckel bestos rarely develop the disease. shaus recently told reporters. "We Asbestos was sold by the bag in are looking at both a ban and a hardware stores until it was ` phaseout of the future production banned by the Consumer Product of asbestos. We have two broad Safety Commission about five problems: One is what do we do years ago. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ~T PLAINTIFF'S EXHIBIT CAP CO JEN 0012472 .FROM THE DESK OF WILLIAM R FERRELL Vice FrclUcml-Selll / i) ' 3-? ' CAP CO JEN 0012471