Washington, D.C. (March 18, 2024) – Brent Booker, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement today:

LIUNA commends the Biden Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on the landmark rule to ban and phase out chrysotile asbestos. This rule honors the sacrifices of the hundreds of thousands of people, who died due to asbestos exposure.

 

Construction workers have historically been on the frontlines of diseases caused by asbestos exposure. This new rule will ensure that chrysotile asbestos is phased out of all current uses and will end asbestos exposure for workers in industries still using asbestos and those with exposure throughout the supply chain.

 

The hard-working LIUNA members who build, maintain, and demolish our infrastructure are grateful to President Biden for prioritizing the lives, health, and safety of construction workers with this ban. This is a giant step forward but it will not end until we have completely removed asbestos from each and every workplace.

 

Despite the long-standing knowledge and evidence of the threats of asbestos, construction workers continue to be exposed to asbestos to this day.

 

LIUNA will continue to work with the Biden Administration and support the Environmental Protection Agency’s rulemaking efforts on legacy asbestos.

 

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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the United States and Canada.