3. Recommendation: Consider a Federal legislative ban on asbestos

As one option, an outright legislative ban on the production, manufacture, distribution, and importation of products with commercially-added asbestos should be considered. Such legislation would eliminate remaining products by a specified date, and installation of those products by a later date. Jurisdictional issues could be addressed in congressional legislation that might not be achievable by individual lagency rulemakings. Exceptions to such a ban may be necessary for a small number of applications for which substitutes may not be available, and for research purposes. Stake-holders at the focus group meeting did not universally support this option. Implementing regulations, and perhaps the enabling legislation itself, would likely be challenged in the courts.

Courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency