Ban Asbestos in America Act: Findings 18-20

(18) with some exceptions relating to certain uses, asbestos has been banned in 40 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom;

(19) asbestos was banned throughout the European Union in 2005; and

(20) banning asbestos from being used in or imported into the United States will provide certainty to manufacturers, builders, environmental remediation firms, workers, and consumers that after a specific date, asbestos will not be used, added, or allowed to be knowingly present as a contaminant in new construction and manufacturing materials used in this country.