The Environmental Protection Agency announced on Monday a federal ban on all uses of chrysotile asbestos, delivering on a yearslong federal effort to remove the toxic substance from use in industrial and manufacturing sectors.
Though the EPA banned most forms of asbestos decades ago, the use of chrysotile asbestos, or “white asbestos,” has persisted in certain construction and industrial sectors due to the material’s resistance to heat, fire, and electric conduction.
It also plays a key role in the nation’s chlorine manufacturing sector, which certain industry groups and the Chamber of Commerce have argued a ban could lead to a shortage of clean drinking water in the United States.
Still, administration officials said the harm caused by the substance far outweighs any benefits.
Chrysotile asbestos is the only kind of asbestos still used in the U.S. and is
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