Asbestos lawyer shocked at US government decision to allow asbestos to remain legal
US NGOs issue joint statement highlighting Russian asbestos giant's praise of Donald Trump's actions
Posted on 11 July 2018
Asbestos lawyer Harminder Bains has condemned the attitude of the US president towards the use of asbestos as two US NGOs issue a joint statement on a recent statement by one of the biggest asbestos producers in Russia.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) press release condemns the praise given by Urablast in a facebook post which showed pictures of pallets of one of its products, chrysotile asbestos, wrapped in plastic with a picture of Mr Trump in the middle of a red seal declaring ‘Approved by Donald Trump’.
Russia is a leading exporter of asbestos to the US. Asbestos-related diseases are estimated to cause the deaths of 15,000 Americans every year. A recent study led by the president of the International Commission on Occupational Health found that the actual death toll from asbestos exposure could be higher at nearly 40,000 Americans a years, and more than 255,000 around the world.
EWG president Ken Cook said:
“Helping Putin and Russian oligarchs amass fortunes by selling a product that kills thousands each year should never be the role of a U.S. president or the EPA, but this is the Trump administration. Russia’s interests are Trump’s interests, and any clear-eyed American knows it.”
“By allowing asbestos to remain legal, the Trump administration would be responsible for a flood of asbestos imports from Russia and other countries into the U.S., as well as the wave of illnesses and deaths that will continue for years to come,” said Linda Reinstein, co-founder and president of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization. “Americans know Putin does not have their interests at heart, but it’s becoming increasingly apparent that neither does Trump.”
Asbestos lawyer Harminder Bains said:
“All asbestos is dangerous, even white/chrysotile asbestos can cause death.
“The asbestos industry is deliberately ignoring the dangers of asbestos in order to continue to make profit out of asbestos mines. The world needs to wake up as the asbestos, which is already in our buildings, is killing not only this generation, but will cause the deaths of millions of people in the future.”