For years, citizens worldwide have fought to keep asbestos out of their lives, rallying against the ill effects of the mineral, but the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has other plans.

SNUR Allows Asbestos in Manufacturing

The EPA recently enacted the Significant New Use Rule (SNUR), allowing asbestos back into manufacturing. Fast Company reports that under the SNUR, the distribution of products containing asbestos is allowed on a cast-to-case basis. This is due to the fact that under their new framework for evaluating the risks of substances, they will no longer consider the effects or the presence of the substance in the environment in its risk assessments.

It is now up to the local and state government units and their citizens to counter the recent federal ruling. Health Building Network’s Board President Bill Walsh claims that the responsibility of sustainable manufacturing will also fall upon the building-product manufacturers and the architects designing them.

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