SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER EDITORIAL BOARD

Thursday, May 29, 2003

A killing spree must be halted. That's the point behind Sen. Patty Murray's bill to ban asbestos in consumer products.

There's a dirty little secret about asbestos. Even after decades of efforts to remove asbestos from homes, schools and libraries, it can still legally be used in new consumer products.

Last Thursday, the Democrat from Washington state introduced a bill to finally put an end to its use in roofing materials, brake pads and other manufactured items.

Because of its fire resistance, asbestos was once routinely put in ships, homes and public buildings. That stopped decades ago as people realized that it causes a variety of cancers and lung diseases. But thousands of Americans die each year from asbestos-related illnesses, which can take 40 years to develop.

After a 1989 court ruling found technical faults with its effort, the Environmental Protection Agency never got around to phasing out the material's use. Murray's bill, which is similar to a measure she pushed last year, would put the agency back on track.

Last week saw other efforts to deal with the death and injury caused by past practices. The EPA announced a program to alert millions of homeowners to the danger of insulation with asbestos-tainted vermiculite, which was brought to public attention by a 1999 Seattle Post-Intelligencer series. At the same time, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, came up with a plan to cap companies' liability for asbestos claims and compensate victims.