As a once popular fire retardant used in everything from clothes to building materials, asbestos is estimated to cause between 3,300 and 12,000 deaths in the U.S. each year from lung cancer, mesothelioma (a rare cancer of the chest and abdominal lining) and asbestosis (a degenerative lung disease). Last week the Environmental Protection Agency finally proposed a program to phase out all use of the carcinogenic mineral within ten years. Agency experts calculate that the ban would save some 1,900 lives during the next 15 years. "I believe there can be no debate about the health risks of asbestos," said EPA...
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