MARF Urges Senate to Ban Asbestos

The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, a non-profit organization devoted to eradicating mesothelioma as a life-ending disease, "applauds Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash) for her steadfast leadership on behalf of the mesothelioma patient and research community and offers its endorsement of her legislation, 'Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007.'" The Foundation's Executive Director, Chris Hahn, has worked closely with Senator Murray for over 5 years to ban asbestos use in the United States. The three fold act would ban asbestos, invest in research and treatment, and launch a public awareness campaign to protect American workers and families. http://www.marf.org/Resources/Advocacy&Awareness/BanAsbestos/BanAsbestosAct.html

Chris Hahn leads a joint support effort to ban asbestos with organizations dedicated to eradicating mesothelioma: The Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health, White Lung Association, International Ban Asbestos Secretariat, Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization, Environmental Information Association, Lincoln County Asbestos Victims' Relief Organization, and Pacific Heart Lung and Blood Institute. He commends Senator Murray's steadfast leadership to pass the "Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007." More.

To review the text of the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007 please Click here.

On Thursday, March 1, 2007, Chris Hahn and Dr. Harvey Pass, Director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the NYU School of Medicine in New York and Chairman of the Foundation's Science Advisory Board, testified before a senate panel led by Senator Murray about the dangers of asbestos exposure.

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Over the past 5 years Senator Patty Murray has been working on a very important piece of legislation called the Ban Asbestos in America Act. From its inception the Foundation has been a huge supporter Senator Murray's work and has assisted in crafting language for the bill that would make provisions for mesothelioma research funding. As a partner in this battle, the Foundation joined several key figures on Capitol Hill today to testify before Senate Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety. Their testimony will help push this legislation forward.

Dr. Harvey Pass, Director of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the NYU School of Medicine in New York and Chairman of the Foundation's Science Advisory Board, testified before a Senate panel. Dr. Pass explained why asbestos exposure remains a serious threat to the health of Americans. He told the panel "the mesothelioma victims of today built our country as pipe fitters, insulators, boilermakers, electricians, and shipbuilders, among others, and a third of today's mesothelioma victims served the U.S. on Navy ships or shipyards. Families have been destroyed by second hand fiber exposure when these heroes brought asbestos from their livelihood into their home." Pass praised the legislation Senator Murray introduced today for placing a high priority on federal funding for mesothelioma research and mandating a collaborative effort be made among the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Department of Veterans Affairs to find the disease in its early stages so that newer therapies can prolong patients' lives.

Sue Vento, widow of former Congressman Bruce Vento, also testified at today's hearing. Vento described the experience her late husband had in his battle with mesothelioma that took his life on October 10, 2000, just ten months after being diagnosed. Vento serves on the Board of Directors of the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation.

To read and hear all the testimony from the hearing click here: http://help.senate.gov/Hearings/2007_03_01/2007_03_01.html

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Learn more about Senator Patty Murray's efforts to pass this important legislation, including audio from the hearing on Capitol Hill and more.

http://murray.senate.gov/

http://murray.senate.gov/photos/display.cfm?id=270078

http://murray.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=270031

Mesothelioma is a malignant tumor that aggressively and painfully invades the lining of the lungs, heart, or stomach until it destroys the vital organs. It is caused by exposure to asbestos. Diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. About 3,000 Americans die from mesothelioma each year, and its incidence is expected to rise in the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.

Since 1999, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation has championed research and advocacy. The Foundation has awarded over $4 million in seed money grants to the brightest investigators around the world. The Pacific Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute supports the Meso Foundation's efforts to ban asbestos.