ASBESTOS WAS BANNED IN 1973, WASN'T IT? UM, NO.

Danger! Danger!

In 1973 the Clean Air Act made asbestos illegal to use for fireproofing and insulating purposes. 

Then in 1989 the EPA issued the Asbestos Ban and Phase Out Rule, which was supposed to impose a full ban on the manufacturing, importation, processing and sale of asbestos-containing products.

Two years later supporters of the asbestos industry challenged and overturned the ban. It was a landmark lawsuit: Corrosion Proof Fittings v. the Environmental Protection Agency. Bottom line, some small victories for asbestos regulation, but asbestos use is still permitted. As in now. As in still permitted now.

I know. You’re freaking out. 

I am too. I started to rip up some of the ugly vinyl molding in my bathroom last week so I could put in a real live baseboard and then, because I knew this, I stopped. I took a sample to my local asbestos testing lab and found out that the adhesive that sticks the vinyl molding to the wall contains asbestos. 

Imagine a word that rhymes with “luck” but means something totally different. That’s the word I said.

The ugly vinyl molding was put into my bathroom sometime after 1976. I know this because the entire house was demoed down to studs in 1976 and then rebuilt. With state-of-the-art drafty aluminum windows, sheet vinyl flooring, and aluminum siding. 

The thing about asbestos is that if it’s not disturbed, it’s not a heath threat. So if I keep the ugly vinyl molding, I don’t have to worry about my kids getting cancer. From asbestos. 

Here’s the other thing. If I hire a contractor to rip out the ugly vinyl molding, that contractor needs to hire an asbestos remediation specialist to remove it. But me? I can do whatever the heck I want. It’s my house, so there’s nothing to keep me from inviting my kids to spend a fun afternoon ripping the heck out that molding. I can also chain smoke around my kids and leave my loaded firearms on my nightstand. My house, my kids, my rights.

The issue here is one of knowing. I know it’s stupid to smoke around my kids and I hope I know it’s stupid to leave loaded guns lying around the house. But unless I know there might be asbestos in the ugly vinyl molding, how can I be sure I’m not putting my kids at risk?

And that’s why I’m writing this. I know. Now you do too. 

Please pass this along. 

Thanks. 

You can reach me at 310–854-2458 or by email at bbelefant (at) kw (dot) com.