Senator Harry Reid’s Statement

STATEMENT OF SENATOR HARRY REID

SENATE RESOLUTION DESIGNATING APRIL 1, 2006, AS NATIONAL ASBESTOS AWARENESS DAY

Mr. President, I rise to introduce a resolution to designate April 1, 2006, as “National Asbestos Awareness Day.” Introducing this resolution is one small step in an effort to raise awareness of this dangerous substance and the painful effects that exposure to asbestos has caused throughout this country. Last year the Senate unanimously passed a similar resolution. It is my hope that designating another National Asbestos Awareness Day will serve as a reminder that exposure to asbestos remains a significant problem in this country, asbestos-induced illnesses continue to kill or disable Americans at an alarming clip, and our resolve to adequately protect the rights of these victims must not falter.

There is no safe level of exposure to asbestos. Despite this fact, the substance still routinely manifests itself in too many work environments. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 1.3 million Americans still face significant asbestos exposure in their workplaces. Some estimate that more than 27.5 million workers have been exposed to asbestos while on the job.

We know too well that the effect of exposure can be deadly. Diseases caused by asbestos include cancers of the lung, digestive tract, colon, larynx, esophagus, kidney and some types of lymphoma; pleural disease; asbestosis; and, of course, mesothelioma. For many of the more serious, asbestos-related diseases, there is no cure.

These devastating illnesses take the lives of thirty Americans each day and ten thousand Americans each year. Countless others were exposed in their neighborhoods, in school yards and at home. Hundreds of thousands of men and women have died or become severely ill due to asbestos exposure.

The cases of disease and death caused by asbestos exposure are not abstractions. Real lives are affected and destroyed by this dreadful substance. I have received countless letters from victims of asbestos-related diseases and their families. Each one shares another story of loss and of pain, of sickness and of tragedy.

Information courtesy of the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization

Looking for more asbestos information? Use the following links to find what you're looking for: