In Minnesota and many other states, there are people being support by palliative care for terminal illnesses such as mesothelioma. It is a malignant tumor caused by asbestos exposure. Sadly, in many cases, injuries were preventable but were caused by employers’ negligence in keeping their workers safe on the job.
A U.S. senator from another state recently criticized the Environmental Protection Agency, stating that thousands of lives remain at risk because of government delays in completing a review (and possible ban) of asbestos. The senator noted that the Lautenberg Act empowers the EPA to ban asbestos. He also said that, several years ago, chemical safety reform was passed with bipartisan agreement, but the EPA has not only failed to ban asbestos, it has not even completed the agreed upon review.
Senator Jeff Merkley from Oregon notes that the dangers of asbestos as a carcinogen are widely known. The main goal of the bipartisan agreement was reportedly to ban the use of the microscopic fibers in the United States. The senator stated that the EPA’s delayed action is potentially placing many lives at risk in addition to the approximately 40,000 people who die of asbestos-related illnesses in this country every year.
There is no safe amount of asbestos exposure. It takes special testing to know if there is asbestos present in the air or on surfaces at a specific location. Any Minnesota resident who is considering filing a personal injury claim regarding asbestos may wish to schedule a meeting with an attorney who has experience in this type of of litigation.
