Did you know that certain asbestos containing products are not banned from being manufactured, imported, processed or disturbed in commerce? Just because your building, home, etc is newer does not mean it is asbestos free.
The following information was taken right from the EPAs website at
http://www.epa.gov/asbestos/us-federal-bans-asbestos
Examples of asbestos-containing products not banned per above:
- Asbestos Cement corrugated sheet
- Asbestos Cement flat sheet
- Asbestos Clothing
- Asbestos Pipeline wrap
- Asbestos Roofing felt
- Asbestos Vinyl floor tile
- Asbestos Cement shingle
- Asbestos Millboard
- Asbestos Cement pipe
- Asbestos Automatic transmission components
- Asbestos Clutch facings
- Asbestos Friction materials
- Asbestos Disk brake pads
- Asbestos Drum brake linings
- Asbestos Brake blocks
- Asbestos Gaskets
- Asbestos Non-roofing coatings
- Asbestos Roof coatings
Regulatory history of asbestos bans
- In 1973, EPA banned spray-applied surfacing asbestos-containing material for fireproofing/insulating purposes. See National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) at 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M
- In 1975, EPA banned installation of asbestos pipe insulation and asbestos block insulation on facility components, such as boilers and hot water tanks, if the materials are either pre-formed (molded) and friable or wet-applied and friable after drying. See National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) at 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M
- In 1978, EPA banned spray-applied surfacing materials for purposes not already banned. See National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) at 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M
- In 1977, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) banned the use of asbestos in artificial fireplace embers and wall patching compounds. (See 16 CFR Part 1305 and 16 CFR 1304)
- In 1989, the EPA issued a final rule under Section 6 of Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) banning most asbestos-containing products. However, in 1991, this rule was vacated and remanded by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As a result, most of the original ban on the manufacture, importation, processing, or distribution in commerce for the majority of the asbestos-containing products originally covered in the 1989 final rule was overturned. See 40 CFR 763 Subpart I.