Newsletter: 7/13/2015

Statement

Dear Friend,

Washington state is ranked 10th in the nation for number of asbestos-related deaths, contributing to the 15,000 American lives claimed by asbestos-related diseases each year. That's why I introduced legislation that would create an online asbestos database, providing transparency and helping citizens avoid asbestos-ridden areas that cause cancer.

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Asbestos Information Act into law, requiring manufacturers and processors of asbestos-containing material to report information about their products to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, the law only included a one-time reporting requirement, and because it pre-dated the use of the Internet, information was published in the Federal Register, which is not easily accessible to most Americans.

My bill, the Reducing Exposure to Asbestos Database (READ) Act, would amend the Asbestos Information Act of 1988 to provide transparency from the asbestos industry about the identity and location of asbestos and asbestos-containing products around the country. Information would be maintained in a publicly searchable online database of products and locations containing asbestos. Companies that don't comply would face penalties for providing false and inaccurate information.

It's unacceptable that so many Americans and their families suffer from contact with deadly asbestos -- in their schools, homes, and workplaces -- when we are able to prevent exposure. My legislation will save lives and reduce exposure through increased transparency, and I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to advance this important legislation.

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