History of Asbestos Use
Humans have utilized asbestos for various purposes for thousands of years.
Over 3000 different building materials containing asbestos were developed and used in construction, including school construction, during the 20th century.
While EPA banned some uses of asbestos in building materials, a complete ban was reversed in 1991. Therefore, certain building materials may still contain asbestos. While these are products manufactured overseas, they still can be imported and purchased in the United States.
Significant New Use Rule, 2020
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a significant new use rule (SNUR) under Section 5 of the Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976. The regulation, which went into effect on June 24, 2020, prohibits discontinued uses of asbestos from restarting without the EPA having an opportunity to evaluate each intended use for potential risks to health and the environment and take any necessary regulatory action, which may include a ban. The SNUR requires manufacturers to request approval before importing, manufacturing, or processing asbestos for adhesives, arc chutes, beater-add gaskets, building materials (insulation, plastics, textured paints, etc.), cement products, coatings, extruded sealant tape and other tape, filler for acetylene cylinders, friction materials (except brake blocks used in oil drilling equipment and vehicle brakes and linings), high-grade electrical paper, millboard, missile liner, packings, pipeline wrap, reinforced plastics, roofing felt, sealants, separators in fuel cells and batteries, vinyl-asbestos floor tile, woven products, and any other applications that are not currently in use in the United States.