In the early 1970s, a series of lawsuits forced companies to admit responsibility for exposing workers to the carcinogen known as asbestos. Used as insulation, tiling, roofing and more, this fiber was found all around steel mills, chemical and power plants, putting hundreds of thousands of workers at risk for[…]
From the blog
Workers still exposed to asbestos at high levels
Many years have passed since asbestos use became limited in the United States, yet the effects are still felt by workers and families alike. Those employed by steel mills, paper mills, shipyards and more put their lives in danger every day simply by going to work. Unlike other substances, overall[…]
Asbestos-related deaths higher than previous estimates
Asbestos is a silent killer, infecting its victim and waiting years to make its presence known. Many believe asbestos is a threat of the past and assume it’s banned with no risk of exposure. In reality, asbestos remains a deadly and destructive force. In the 50 years since the landmark[…]
Mapping the Deadly Toll of Asbestos – State by State, County by County
WASHINGTON (June 30, 2015) – Fifty years after a landmark medical study definitively established that asbestos kills, the exact death toll remains unknown. Now, new research from EWG Action Fund provides the most accurate estimates available for the deadly impact of asbestos – across the nation and in your back[…]
EPA Inspector General: Agency’s Asbestos Guidance ‘Potential Risk to Public Health’
For Immediate Release: June 17, 2015 Contact: Alex Formuzis, EWG Action Fund: 202.667.6982 or alex@ewg.org Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s official guidance on the demolition of crumbling buildings with asbestos is woefully outdated and must be revamped to protect public health, says the agency’s own inspector general in a[…]
Ray of hope for nearly 15,000 Americans who die each year of asbestos-related disease
Washington, D.C. – (June 16, 2015) – A man diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2013 saw his tumors virtually disappear within two months of completing an experimental treatment developed by Australian cancer researchers, a newly published study reports. Bradley Selmon, 51, who was exposed to asbestos over years of working as[…]
Federal Data Show Millions of American Workers Inhaling Asbestos
For Immediate Release: June 10, 2015 Contact: Alex Formuzis, EWG Action Fund: 202.667.6982 or alex@ewg.org Washington, D.C. – For decades, American workers have been breathing air contaminated with asbestos in excess of federal health limits, according to a new analysis of federal government air sampling data. In a study published last month in the[…]
Asbestos Victims and Families Decry Congressional Push to Run Out the Clock on Compensation
Contact: Alex Formuzis: 202.667.6982 or alex@ewg.org WASHINGTON, D.C.(May 14, 2015) – In response to today’s congressional action setting up a likely House vote on a bill designed to delay compensating asbestos victims, several prominent victims’ advocates took lawmakers to task for siding with industry instead of public health. The Furthering[…]
New Estimate Finds Asbestos Kills 12,000-15,000 Americans a Year
Contact: Alex Formuzis: 202.667.6982 or alex@ewg.org WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 13, 2015) – A new analysis by EWG Action Fund concludes that up to 15,000 Americans die every year from asbestos-related diseases, significantly more than previous estimates. The findings indicate that 50 years after medical research definitively established that asbestos kills, the[…]
EWG Action Fund Seeks Gov’t Data on Asbestos in Consumer Products
Washington, D.C. (May 12, 2015) – EWG Action Fund today filed Freedom of Information requests with the federal Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission seeking information on undisclosed asbestos contamination in consumer goods. “American asbestos mining stopped years ago, but a mounting body of evidence indicates that asbestos still[…]
