Even If Asbestos Is Banned AGAIN… … It’s Still All Around Us

If you, or a loved one, has come to believe that asbestos is illegal in the United States, you may be entitled to a significant surprise.

Here are the facts:

• Asbestos WAS banned in the U.S. for about a hot minute, and that was about four decades ago.
• The total ban was lifted in short order, and some intelligent observers have noted that it might be because the industry had some high-powered lobbyists.
• Mining asbestos has remained illegal in the U.S., as well as the manufacture of products containing asbestos.
• However, IMPORTING asbestos-laden products is still perfectly legal in the U.S., and tons and tons of the ugly stuff arrive on American shores every year.

So… we used to say that if you (or a loved one) thought asbestos was totally illegal in America, you should punch yourself in the face.  Jokingly, of course.

(We have never advocated punching loved ones in the face, or anywhere else for that matter.  That’s just very wrong.  However, you might encourage your loved one to practice self-pugilism if they think asbestos is totally illegal in America.  On the other hand, maybe you shouldn’t make that recommendation.)

Again, we USED to say that.  Jokingly, of course.  But now, the joke’s on the asbestos industry!  Because it’s looking like asbestos will be totally banned again in the U.S., and this time a different group of lobbyists seems likely to prevail and get the ban enacted for good.

Why, you ask?  Because asbestos is known to cause cancers for which there are no cures.

But even if the ban comes back, we’re far from finished with our national struggle to rid ourselves of the threats asbestos poses.

Why, you ask?  First, you ask a lot of questions.  But to answer your question, asbestos is all around us right now, thanks to the fact that it’s been legal to import asbestos-laden products into the U.S. for, well, just about forever.

Your home or workplace may well have been constructed with asbestos-containing building materials.  Drywall, ceiling tiles, floor tiles, pipe insulation, and many other materials have been made with asbestos overseas and shipped here over the last many decades.

Before you ask “why” again, we’ll tell you it’s because asbestos was once valued for its flame-retardant capabilities (since it’s basically an ugly rock), AND because it’s cheaper to work with than other materials manufacturers could use.

You don’t have to panic, though.  (Well, go ahead and panic if you like… you just don’t have to.)  Asbestos-containing building materials aren’t dangerous as long as they’re kept undisturbed in their original manufactured state.

Now, if you have a fire at your place (even a small one), or a flood (from a burst pipe, maybe), or a do-it-yourself project that goes horribly awry… those materials could be disturbed, which could result in the asbestos breaking into microscopic shards that impale themselves in your lungs over time.

In fact, asbestos is found in places you wouldn’t expect, from powdered makeup to faux jewelry.  Remember the dust-up (pun intended) that was in all the papers when asbestos was found in baby powder?  You could end up with airborne asbestos from those products, too.

THEN you could panic.

But, rather than panicking, a better move would be to get your place professionally tested for airborne asbestos.  At Asbestos Abatement, Inc., we don’t do the testing (it’s a conflict of interest), but we can recommend a reliable testing company which can determine if you have a problem.

Then, if you do have a problem with airborne asbestos in your home or workplace, you could once-again push the panic button… but, in that case, a far better move would be to give us a call.

We’ll show up with state-of-the art equipment – spacesuits and everything – and keep working away until the air in your place is 100% asbestos free.

Even if asbestos is re-banned, it’s still all around us.  If you suspect you might have a problem with airborne asbestos, give us a call.  We’ll make sure you get the peace-of-mind that comes from knowing your air is free of that cancer-causing ugly stuff.  It will probably cost less than you think.  And no matter what it costs… isn’t the health and lives of you and your family worth it?