WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO), which combines education, advocacy, and community to prevent exposure and ensure justice for asbestos victims, today issued this statement from ADAO President and Co-founder, and mesothelioma widow, Linda Reinstein, commemorating 9/11 with a call for a ban on asbestos, TSCA reform, and perpetual funding for victims.
Ms. Reinstein stated:
“Many heroes emerged on September 11, putting their lives on the line to save others. But in the dust was another evil assailant – asbestos, along with other highly toxic chemicals and materials. According to reports from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the implosion of the Twin Towers ‘pulverized asbestos to ultra-fine particles’ and scattered 1,000 tons of asbestos debris over Lower Manhattan. For more than a century, asbestos has been known to cause disabilities and deaths. Asbestos, a known carcinogen, was widely used in the construction of the World Trade Center. Asbestos exposure can cause mesothelioma, lung, gastrointestinal, laryngeal, and ovarian cancers, as well as non-malignant lung and respiratory diseases. Each day, an estimated 40 Americans die from preventable asbestos-caused diseases. Yet, imports continue.
“While thousands inhaled and swallowed hazardous debris, the EPA reassured residents that their air ‘is safe to breathe and their water is safe to drink.’ Investigations found that the EPA had no basis for its pronouncements about air quality. Subsequently, a 2006 study by Mount Sinai Hospital in New York found that ‘seven out of ten World Trade Center rescue and wreckage workers had new or worsened lung problems after the attacks.’ The chemicals and toxic fumes from WTC Towers had a long-term effect on those who inhaled the deadly dust including respiratory problems, diseases, and deaths. And, as reported by a recent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study of three cohorts in San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia, ‘The population of firefighters had a rate of mesothelioma two times greater than the rate in the U.S. population as a whole.’
“We can honor our fallen heroes by reforming the failed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) of 1976 that will ensure the EPA can expeditiously test and regulate the 84,000 chemicals found in homes, communities, and consumer shelves. The litmus test for real reform is for the EPA to finally ban asbestos.
“For our heroes who fight the consequences of the deadly dust, Congress should also ensure that the funding for the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act of 2010 continues into perpetuity.
“ADAO has launched a viral campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure and the importance of prevention in eliminating asbestos disease. I encourage everyone to join in our efforts and ‘Raise Your Voice’ to #ENDMeso. An important step is to send your letter to Congress and tell them to stand up for Americans and ban asbestos.
“We are reminded on 9/11, more than ever, of what defines a hero and how strongly that persona is juxtaposed with opposing malevolence. As a mesothelioma widow, I remain confident that we will rise to the occasion and do the right thing as a nation, and end the tragedy associated with asbestos exposure.”
About the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization
The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families in 2004. ADAO is the largest non-profit in the U.S. dedicated to providing asbestos victims and concerned citizens with a united voice through our education, advocacy, and community initiatives. ADAO seeks to raise public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure, advocate for an asbestos ban, and protect asbestos victims’ civil rights. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org. ADAO, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, does not make legal referrals.
