Perhaps this is a follow the money issue. Who is prevailing on the president for this to be allowed? Who, outside of the administration, is asking to have the ban on this particular asbestos to be reconsidered.
Because we all know this is not a policy Trump dreamed up by himself.
Now, my thoughts? I think it is bad policy to end the ban. My brother is currently dealing with lung cancer brought on by years of working around asbestos. My father died of the same.
For a country that prides itself on our ability to overcome, I think we've done pretty well without the deadly asbestos. So why we want to go back, beats the h-e double toothpicks out of me.
There is less to this than meets the eye. The EPA is not considering reversing the ban on asbestos generally, but only on the last type of asbestos still in use in the US, which was not banned in the first place until 2024, with the goal of phasing it out in a few years.
So at worst this is only going to prevent or delay the final elimination of the last type of asbestos still in (rare) use -- it's not going to reverse bans already in place for other types. Still not a good thing, but it's important to keep the real facts in mind.
When I saw that headline last night it took my breath away. This is so disgusting and disheartening. The country is moving backwards at an alarming rate.
I will soon turn 66. My father died a few months after he turned 64 from mesothelioma. He signed up to join the marines after he graduated from college to fight in WWII. When he came back, it was just like the movie "The Best Years of Our Lives" where there were no jobs to be had. He worked a number of odd jobs including a used car salesman. My mom's brother encouraged him to become a pipe fitter as it was a union job with good benefits. He did. That same uncle died of mesothelioma in 1969. Then another uncle died of the same thing in 1971. Then my father in 1984, then another uncle in 1987. All WWII vets and all pipe fitters.
Do you know where the majority of asbestos is still mined? No surprise that it is Russia, which then sells it to Brazil where they produce asbestos products.
I thought we had eliminated using asbestos. But it turns out we still import it from Brazil. Canada also mines and exports it. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysotile
I must be the only one here that ever worked with asbestos. Asbestos is only dangerous if the fibers become airborne. I used to mix it in buckets to lag steam pipes. THAT was dangerous. Asbestos "seals" and "tiles" (encapsulated)... not so much.
When I worked in the Shipyard in San Francisco we would be shut down by CalOSHA almost every Friday afternoon for asbestos. It was a good excuse to go home early and get a start on the weekend.
Masks may not work very well for Covid, but they do a bang up job on asbestos.
-FJ... yeah, I did a big remodel job at a church in Los Angeles and all the asbestos removal guys swore by those masks.As for the "it's only dangerous" thought, a lot of seamen from WWII, Korea and Vietnam might disagree. Or it could be second hand smoke from all the Robert Morris product the company denied was dangerous.
But generally, I've heard your view. Left encased, generally no danger.
My Father-in-Law died of mesothelioma/ lung cancer from asbestos and cigarettes. He used to work for AT&T installing phone lines in Manhattan... and the buildings were full of asbestos. No one wore masks, the danger hadn't been identified as such. It didn't materialize for another 40-50 years...
It turned into a boon for lawyers though. Peter Angelos (Orioles owner) made a billion robbing the asbestosis trust fund. Same goes for other lawyers. The victims all got buried, and never saw a cent.
14 comments:
Perhaps this is a follow the money issue. Who is prevailing on the president for this to be allowed? Who, outside of the administration, is asking to have the ban on this particular asbestos to be reconsidered.
Because we all know this is not a policy Trump dreamed up by himself.
Now, my thoughts? I think it is bad policy to end the ban. My brother is currently dealing with lung cancer brought on by years of working around asbestos. My father died of the same.
For a country that prides itself on our ability to overcome, I think we've done pretty well without the deadly asbestos. So why we want to go back, beats the h-e double toothpicks out of me.
But hey... use cancerous materials... MAGA!
There is less to this than meets the eye. The EPA is not considering reversing the ban on asbestos generally, but only on the last type of asbestos still in use in the US, which was not banned in the first place until 2024, with the goal of phasing it out in a few years.
So at worst this is only going to prevent or delay the final elimination of the last type of asbestos still in (rare) use -- it's not going to reverse bans already in place for other types. Still not a good thing, but it's important to keep the real facts in mind.
When I saw that headline last night it took my breath away. This is so disgusting and disheartening. The country is moving backwards at an alarming rate.
I will soon turn 66. My father died a few months after he turned 64 from mesothelioma. He signed up to join the marines after he graduated from college to fight in WWII. When he came back, it was just like the movie "The Best Years of Our Lives" where there were no jobs to be had. He worked a number of odd jobs including a used car salesman. My mom's brother encouraged him to become a pipe fitter as it was a union job with good benefits. He did. That same uncle died of mesothelioma in 1969. Then another uncle died of the same thing in 1971. Then my father in 1984, then another uncle in 1987. All WWII vets and all pipe fitters.
Do you know where the majority of asbestos is still mined? No surprise that it is Russia, which then sells it to Brazil where they produce asbestos products.
T'would be interesting to see the thinking on that. My guess - a huge donation by the asbestos industry?
Because the evidence against asbestos is inconclusive?
Wow. Just wow.
I thought we had eliminated using asbestos. But it turns out we still import it from Brazil. Canada also mines and exports it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysotile
I must be the only one here that ever worked with asbestos. Asbestos is only dangerous if the fibers become airborne. I used to mix it in buckets to lag steam pipes. THAT was dangerous. Asbestos "seals" and "tiles" (encapsulated)... not so much.
When I worked in the Shipyard in San Francisco we would be shut down by CalOSHA almost every Friday afternoon for asbestos. It was a good excuse to go home early and get a start on the weekend.
Masks may not work very well for Covid, but they do a bang up job on asbestos.
Thank you for this clarification.
-FJ... yeah, I did a big remodel job at a church in Los Angeles and all the asbestos removal guys swore by those masks.As for the "it's only dangerous" thought, a lot of seamen from WWII, Korea and Vietnam might disagree. Or it could be second hand smoke from all the Robert Morris product the company denied was dangerous.
But generally, I've heard your view. Left encased, generally no danger.
Difficult to get some people to wear masks for anything except Halloween
If it pays a premium, you can get a lot of volunteers. The problem is, no one wants to pay the premium.
My Father-in-Law died of mesothelioma/ lung cancer from asbestos and cigarettes. He used to work for AT&T installing phone lines in Manhattan... and the buildings were full of asbestos. No one wore masks, the danger hadn't been identified as such. It didn't materialize for another 40-50 years...
It turned into a boon for lawyers though. Peter Angelos (Orioles owner) made a billion robbing the asbestosis trust fund. Same goes for other lawyers. The victims all got buried, and never saw a cent.
Post a Comment