Document 4vjXE00RO6GMXKR1qrEKdyYpx

INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE HI--LITES Volume 3, Number 4 August 8, 1989 ERA'S ASBESTOS BAN AND PHASEOUT RULE On July 12, 1989, EPA published its final rule concerning the asbestos ban regulation which prohibits the manufacture, processing, and importation of most asbestos products at staged intervals over seven years. This applies to new installations as well as maintenance on existing installations. The final rule will eventually ban about 94% of asbestos use in the U.S., based on 1985 production volume estimates. Transite (asbestos/cement sheet products, both flat and corrugated) and asbestos floor tile will be banned in 1990. Asbestos friction products, (e.g. drum brake linings, disc brake pads, clutch facings, automatic transmission components) will be banned in 1993. Ull other friction products and asbestos cement pipe and shingles will be banned in 1996. Asbestos diaphragms used in chlor-alkali manufacture, asbestos packing, and specialty industrial uses of both sheet gaskets and beater-add gaskets are excluded from the rule. All other asbestos gaskets will be banned in 1993. At. the present time, there are no lawsuits nor do we expect any lawsuits in regard to the asbestos gasket portion of the ban. The exclusion for specialty industrial gaskets is limited to asbestos-containing gaskets that are designed for industrial use in either (a) environments where temperatures are 750 degrees Fahrenheit or greater, or (b) corrosive environments. A corrosive environment is one in which the gasket is exposed to concentrated acid (pH less than 2), highly oxidizing mineral acids (e.g., sulfuric, nitric, or chromic ard) at temperatures above ambient. The Asbestos Replacement Task Force was formed to help find suitable alternatives for asbestos gaskets. Potential substitutes are identified and tested in a production unit. The task force is working through the Technology Centers in this effort. If you have any questions about the task force, call Steve Shellenberger at 517/638-6986 or Mike Tracy at 7022. If you have any other questions, contact Donna Hicks at extension 5036. 8 i* z ~c 1s0