Despite the almost 10,000 lives a year claimed by asbestos-related diseases in the United States, products legally containing asbestos continue to pass through our country’s borders.

However, recently introduced legislation will alert the public where these asbestos products are ending up.

U.S. Senators Edward J. Markey and Richard Durbin are sponsoring the Reducing Exposure to Asbestos Database Act (READ) to amend the Asbestos Information Act of 1988 by establishing a public database of asbestos-containing products.

The amended legislation requires detailed reporting and tracking of these products and their final destination and application to be disclosed on a public website.

Passage of the READ bill would mean asbestos-containing products and their whereabouts will be public knowledge. Then, anyone concerned about whether their workplace, school, or a product they are using might be affected can check the database and take the appropriate action.

Everyday Exposure

While asbestos is banned in many countries, it is still legal in the United States and often imported, despite being a carcinogen. The World Health Organization reports occupational asbestos exposure is responsible for more than 107,000 deaths annually worldwide.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates there are 3,000 different commercial products currently in use in the United States today that contain asbestos, including building materials, brake pads, and fire retardant materials and products. Asbestos fibers can also be transferred via clothing, skin or hair through contact with a household member who has worked around the deadly substance.

Studies show it causes mesothelioma, a rare cancer that affects the thin, protective membrane surrounding the lungs, heart or abdominal cavity. It is estimated that approximately 3,000 new cases of asbestos mesothelioma are diagnosed each year.

It can be decades after exposure before a victim gets such a diagnosis. There is no cure for these asbestos exposure injuries and most of those who are diagnosed with mesothelioma often only have a prognosis of one to five years after the illness is discovered.

In many cases, industries and employers knew for years that asbestos exposure was dangerous to their workers, but allegedly put profits ahead of worker safety and failed to warn them of the dangers and failed to provide the proper safety equipment.

Many individuals each year are able to successfully pursue asbestos lawsuits, as massive jury awards have been handed down throughout the United States.