Bill to Ban Asbestos

has been introduced in the U.S. Senate. In 1989, the U.S. EPA proposed a limited ban on asbestos, but a federal appeals court overturned the regulations in 1991. Risks of asbestos exposure were brought back into focus by Libby, Montana, however, where 200 people have died from asbestos-related illness and thousands more are sick. On June 18, Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, introduced a bill that would “outlaw the manufacture, processing, importation, and distribution of asbestos-containing products” by 2005. Prospects for the bill are uncertain.