Deliver Your News to the World

What New Products in Puerto Rico Can Still Legally Contain Asbestos?

Zimmetry Environmental provides testing and consulting services to identify all types of asbestos-containing materials along with occupational and residential exposure risks.


Bayamon, Puerto Rico – WEBWIRE

Even without concerns over new products that may contain asbestos, today, in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean, asbestos is still a major health and safety concern in numerous residential, institutional, commercial and industrial buildings.

Beginning in the 19th century, large-scale asbestos mining was a reality. This was due to the fact the asbestos offered so many unique physical qualities that could be utilized by industry. These included the mineral’s resistance to sound absorption, heat, fire, chemical corrosion, electricity and its tensile strength. The result was asbestos could be found in thousands of building materials and consumer products.
 
Unfortunately, exposure to asbestos fibers was later determined to cause lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. Knowing these medical facts, many people in Puerto Rico and across the rest of the United States are under the assumption that asbestos-containing materials are banned today, but this is only partially true.
 
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) states the following regarding banned and not banned asbestos-containing products in the United States: On July 12, 1989, the EPA issued a final rule under Section 6 of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) banning most asbestos-containing products in the United States. In 1991, the rule was vacated and remanded by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. As a result, most of the original ban on the manufacture, importation, processing, or distribution in commerce for most of the asbestos-containing product categories originally covered in the 1989 final rule was overturned.  Only the bans on corrugated paper, rollboard, commercial paper, specialty paper, and flooring felt and any new uses of asbestos remained banned under the 1989 rule. Although most asbestos containing products can still legally be manufactured, imported, processed and distributed in the U.S., according to the U.S. Geological Survey, the production and use of asbestos has declined significantly.
 
Some of the products listed by the EPA that are not currently banned include:

  • Cement corrugated sheet
  • Cement flat sheet
  • Clothing
  • Pipeline wrap
  • Roofing felt
  • Vinyl floor tile
  • Cement shingle
  • Millboard
  • Cement pipe
  • Automatic transmission components
  • Clutch facings
  • Friction materials
  • Disk brake pads
  • Drum brake linings
  • Brake blocks
  • Gaskets
  • Non-roofing coatings
  • Roof coatings


“While the EPA states that the manufacture, importation, processing and distribution in commerce of a number of products are not banned, in June of 2018, the agency took action by proposing a significant new use rule (SNUR) that would prohibit these uses,” said Harry Pena, President of Zimmetry Environmental. “Even without concerns over new products that may contain asbestos, today, in Puerto Rico and across the Caribbean, asbestos is still a major health and safety concern in numerous residential, institutional, commercial and industrial buildings. This is due to its widespread use over so many decades.”
 
To protect the residents of Puerto Rico from exposure risks and to keep companies and institutions in regulatory compliance, Zimmetry Environmental offers comprehensive testing, monitoring and asbestos consulting services. They have even sponsored an educational video about asbestos-containing products that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/aVXM5GDdtrQ
 
To learn more about Zimmetry Environmental and their asbestos, indoor air quality (IAQ), environmental, or compliance testing and consulting services, please visit www.zimmetry.com, call (787) 995.0005 or email info@zimmetry.com .
 
About Zimmetry Environmental
Since 2002, Zimmetry Environmental has been providing environmental consulting services to building owners and managers, architects, engineers, EHS professionals, and Fortune 500 companies.  The company is based in Puerto Rico and provides services across the Caribbean and Central America.  The professionals at Zimmetry offer environmental compliance, indoor air quality, asbestos, lead-based paint, Phase I ESAs, and general environmental consulting services.


( Press Release Image: https://photos.webwire.com/prmedia/12710/233024/233024-1.png )


WebWireID233024




 
 Puerto Rico
 Mesothelioma
 Asbestos
 EHS
 Industrial Hygiene


This news content may be integrated into any legitimate news gathering and publishing effort. Linking is permitted.

News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.