Despite a recent push by the United States Environmental Protection Authority to ban asbestos, it remains in use across the US in one of the last authorised uses: in Chlor-alkali industry plants, which play a significant role in the production of chlorine.
After many years of public criticism and lobbying from safety groups, the EPA is moving to ban asbestos nationwide.
The American Asbestos Disease Awareness Organisation hosted a public meeting in New Orleans last month to ensure the community understood the ramifications and risks of the chemical’s use.
ADAO President Linda Reinstein, whose husband, Alan, died of mesothelioma, explained that it was part of a larger plan to keep residents informed.
“Most Americans do not know that asbestos is still legal and lethal in the United States today,” she said. “And those most at risk from exposure, like these communities, deserve every opportunity to protect themselves from harm caused by the Chlor-alkali industry’s decision to continue to use this deadly chemical.”
Asbestos diaphragms are still used in US chlorine manufacturing, utilised in about a third of the processes nationwide. It is one of the last uses of the chemical in the country.
“The Chlor-alkali plants that use dangerous and outdated asbestos diaphragms must be held accountable for their choices,” Reinstein said. “Their use of asbestos creates multiple potential pathways for exposure to this known [carcinogen].”
The Asbestos Diseases Awareness Organisation has rallied for years to ban asbestos and has worked tirelessly to implement outreach programs in communities near manufacturing sites.
One of the focuses of the group is the state of Louisiana, which is home to four Chlori-alkali plants using raw chrysotile asbestos. ADAO estimates that Louisiana saw 22,953 asbestos-related deaths from 1991 to 2019, which are primarily considered to be occupational.