EPA proposal to allow new uses for asbestos angers critics

While the use of asbestos has been limited in the past, the government is considering new uses for the material suspected of causing cancer and other diseases.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rules that could allow for new uses of the product that once was widely used in the construction of homes and office buildings. The proposal came before Scott Pruitt, the former Oklahoma Attorney General, left the agency as administrator.
The agency offered a SNUR or Significant New Use Rule for “certain uses of asbestos (including asbestos-containing goods),” according to CBS News. Importers and manufacturers would have to get approval from the EPA before resuming or starting asbestos manufacturing, importing or processing.