Asbestos (Un)Done Right
Asbestos once was considered the miracle mineral. Its heat and corrosion resistance, high tensile strength and its general versatility made it a key ingredient for the industrial age. For this reason, asbestos is found, and is sometimes still added to, a tremendous variety of building materials. Unfortunately, when it was proven that exposure to asbestos caused cancer, all of the benefits associated with this material were replaced with concerns over how to safely manage a carcinogen that is present in nearly every home and building constructed before the 1980’s.
More than 50 countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and all 28 countries of the European Union, have banned the use of asbestos. But the U.S. continues to import and use asbestos with no plan for stricter regulations in place. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 750 metric tons of asbestos were imported in 2018. It may be shocking to many, especially if you’re among the majority of people who believe that asbestos was banned in the U.S. after warnings were issued in the 1970s.We now know for certain that all forms of asbestos can cause mesothelioma, lung cancer and other chronic respiratory conditions. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that government agencies, such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), were created to limit exposures to asbestos and other toxic pollutants.
Although it is highly regulated in the U.S. today, asbestos continues to be used in hundreds of consumer products as long as it accounts for less than one percent of the product. The staff at Orion Environmental has extensive experience managing all aspects of asbestos materials in homes, schools, hospitals, industrial sites and the workplace. Orion is capable of managing all your asbestos needs.
