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4. Have abatement and major repairs performed by
professionals trained and qualified to handle asbestos.
It is also highly recommended that sampling and mi-
nor repair work be done by a trained and accredited
asbestos professional.
5. Contact your local representatives and demand they
take action to ban asbestos in America.
The last "do" step, using your voice to influence the pol-
icy around asbestos in America, may be the most import-
ant step we can take together. For 30 years, we've fought
an uphill battle against powerful corporate interests who
see profit-margins where we see funeral arrangements.
In 1989, the EPA attempted to ban most uses of as-
bestos, but industry challenged the ban in court and won.
Ignoring the science, the 5th Circuit Court ruled in favor
of the asbestos industry and overturned the ban. In 2016,
the EPA got another chance to take action when a bipar-
tisan bill was signed into law thus giving them the regula-
tory power to finally ban asbestos.
Attempts to ban asbestos have been halted by the in-
dustry's powerful lobbying for continued imports and use.
The EPA has elected to ignore the risk evaluation of leg-
acy asbestos in homes, workplaces, existing infrastruc-
tures or schools. This is unfathomable -- as the legacy
uses of asbestos remain, the 31 million tons that we have
used in the past century, continue to put us all at risk. As-
bestos fibers are so small you can not see, touch, or smell
them, therefore leaving most Americans unable to identify
or manage the risks of asbestos.
Your voice is important. Together, we can make
a difference in Congress, in our communities, and
in our homes. As we say at ADAO, "Hear Asbestos.
Think Prevention." For more information about as-
bestos prevention and policy, connect with us online.
You can follow @Linda_ADAO on Twitter or visit https://
www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org
About the Author
Linda Reinstein became a public health advocate after
her husband, Alan, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in
2003. One year later, she co-founded the Asbestos Disease
Awareness Organization (ADAO) dedicated to eliminating
asbestos-caused diseases and protecting asbestos victims'
civil rights through education, advocacy, and community
initiatives. Recognized as a prevention and public policy
influencer, Reinstein has been a strong voice for education-
al campaigns and policy in the U.S. and around the world.
Serving as ADAO's President and CEO, she organizes the
only annual international educational conference in the U.S.
solely dedicated to eliminating asbestos-caused diseases..
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