"A House committee approved legislation Nov. 19 to ban asbestos but allow certain chemical manufacturers to transition away from use of the cancer-causing mineral.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved on a 47-1 vote H.R. 1603, an amended version of the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act of 2019. The bill would ban the mineral, with a few exemptions, within one year.

Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.) encouraged his colleagues to vote for the amended bill saying it would better protected national security needs, recognize that a small amount of asbestos may be a naturally occurring contaminant in some mining operations, and protect the nation’s supply of chlorine and caustic soda—two chemicals that are used to make a multitude of other products."

Pat Rizzuto reports for Bloomberg Environment November 19, 2019. [2]