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People were quick to troll conservatives over their predicted outrage after the Environmental Protection Agency announced it had finally banned asbestos, a known carcinogen, after decades of research confirming that it poses serious health risks.
This ban, outlined in a final rule, represents a major expansion of EPA regulation under a pivotal 2016 law aimed at overhauling regulations governing toxic chemicals in everyday products.
Asbestos, a known carcinogen, is responsible for tens of thousands of deaths in the United States annually. The new rule specifically targets chrysotile asbestos, the sole remaining use of asbestos in the U.S., which is found in products such as brake linings, gaskets, and in the manufacturing of chlorine bleach and sodium hydroxide.
The news went viral after it was reported by The Associated Press.
Conservatives don't tend to be fans of regulation—so people jumped on the opportunity to compose what we'd likely hear from the reactionary right.
Meanwhile, others were a bit perturbed by how long it took for the EPA to announce the ban in the first place.
Exposure to asbestos has been linked to lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other deadly diseases. By prohibiting ongoing uses of asbestos, the EPA aims to advance President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, a comprehensive effort to combat cancer nationwide.
The 2016 law, known as the Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act, provided the EPA with the authority to regulate toxic chemicals like asbestos that had long been known to cause cancer but were previously unregulated. This legislation aimed to modernize the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976, which had remained largely unchanged for four decades.
While asbestos was initially banned by the EPA in 1989, the rule was significantly weakened by a 1991 Court of Appeals decision, limiting the agency's authority to address health risks posed by asbestos and other chemicals. The 2016 law mandated the evaluation of chemicals and the implementation of measures to protect against unreasonable risks.