EPA Finalizes Criticized Asbestos Evaluation But Agrees To Narrow Focus

EPA has finalized without significant change its long-awaited TSCA evaluation of asbestos, reaching the same unreasonable risk conclusions as its widely criticized draft version, with the most obvious change being the agency’s agreement with its advisors to narrow the name so it focuses on only the chrysotile fiber type officials assessed. Issued late on Dec. 30, the final chrysotile asbestos evaluation finds 16 of 32 uses of chrysotile asbestos pose unreasonable risks to workers, consumers or bystanders, triggering a one-year...