Risk Evaluation for Asbestos
EPA evaluated asbestos under the amended Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) and completed the final risk evaluation for asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos in December 2020. Subsequent to publishing the final Part 1 Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, EPA agreed to publish a final Part 2 of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, which focuses on legacy uses and associated disposals, other types of asbestos fibers in addition to chrysotile, and asbestos-containing talc. EPA published Part 2 of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos in November 2024.
On this page:
- Background on/Uses of Asbestos
- Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos
- Risk Evaluation of Asbestos Part 2: Supplemental Evaluation including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos
- Prior EPA Actions on Asbestos
On other pages:
- Learn EPA's actions to protect the public from exposure to asbestos including a partial ban and a rule to ensure products that are no longer on the market can't return without EPA's review.
- Find information about other chemicals undergoing risk evaluations under TSCA.
- Learn about risk management for chrysotile asbestos.
Background on/Uses of Asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral. Asbestos was historically used as a fire retardant in construction in the mid-twentieth century but was also used extensively in diaphragms used to make chlorine and caustic soda, gaskets, brakes, cement water pipes, and in buildings materials such as floor tiles, insulation, shingles, and textured paint, among other uses. The Part 1 Risk Evaluation focused on chrysotile asbestos, which is the only form of asbestos known to be imported, processed, or distributed in the United States. The Part 2 Risk Evaluation considered legacy uses and associated disposals of six fiber types – chrysotile, crocidolite, amosite, anthophyllite, tremolite, actinolite – Libby amphibole asbestos, and asbestos containing talc. Although asbestos is no longer used in the manufacturing of these products, construction materials containing asbestos such as floor and ceiling tiles, pipe wrap, and other insulation can be found in older buildings. These are considered legacy uses.
Risk Evaluation of Asbestos, Part 1: Chrysotile Asbestos
In December 2020, EPA released the final Part 1 of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos, which shows that there are unreasonable risks to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, and bystanders from 16 out of 32 conditions of use under TSCA. EPA found no unreasonable risks to the environment. As with any chemical product, EPA strongly recommends that users carefully follow all instructions on the product’s label.
In March 2020, EPA released the draft risk evaluation for asbestos, part 1 for public comment and peer review.
Risk Evaluation of Asbestos, Part 2: Supplemental Evaluation including Legacy Uses and Associated Disposals of Asbestos
EPA originally adopted the TSCA Title II definition of asbestos and focused the scope of the TSCA risk evaluation for asbestos on ongoing uses of asbestos and excluded legacy uses and disposals. Because only chrysotile asbestos has ongoing uses, other fiber types included in the TSCA Title II definition were not considered. However, in 2019, a court ruled that the agency unlawfully excluded “legacy uses” and “associated disposal” from TSCA’s definition of “conditions of use,” resulting in the need to supplement the agency’s review of asbestos with a “part 2” risk evaluation. The latter focuses on legacy uses and associated disposals, which includes all fiber types included in the TSCA Title II definition. EPA entered into a consent decree to complete the final part 2 risk evaluation by December 1, 2024.
In November 2024, EPA released the final Part 2 of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos. EPA determined that disturbing and handling asbestos associated with legacy uses, and asbestos as a chemical substance poses unreasonable risk to human health. If undisturbed, asbestos associated with legacy uses does not pose an unreasonable risk to human health.
Read the final Part 2 of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos
In April 2024, EPA released Part 2 of the draft Risk Evaluation for Asbestos for public comment. EPA has preliminarily determined that disturbing and handling asbestos associated with legacy uses, and asbestos as a chemical substance, poses unreasonable risk to human health.
In August 2023, EPA released a for peer review a white paper that describes EPA’s quantitative approach for the human health assessment to be applied in Part 2. In June 2022, EPA released the final scope for Part 2 of the Risk Evaluation for Asbestos.
Learn more about the risk evaluation for asbestos, part 2.
Prior EPA Actions on Asbestos
In June 2017, EPA released the scope document for the risk evaluation for asbestos Part 1, which included the hazards, exposures, conditions of use, and the potentially exposed or susceptible subpopulations EPA expected to consider in its risk evaluation of asbestos conducted pursuant to TSCA section 6(b). In June 2018, EPA released the problem formulation for the risk evaluation for asbestos Part 1, which refined the scope of the asbestos risk evaluation by clarifying the chemical conditions of use that EPA expected to evaluate and describing how EPA expected to conduct the evaluation.
- Read the problem formulation for the risk evaluation for asbestos, part 1.
- Read the scope document for the risk evaluation for asbestos, part 1 and the supplemental files.
After releasing the scope documents for each of the first 10 chemicals undergoing risk evaluation under TSCA, the dockets for each of these first 10 chemicals were open for public comments. Read EPA’s Responses to Public Comments Received on the Scope Documents for the First Ten Chemicals for Risk Evaluation under TSCA. This document addresses cross-cutting public comments received in response to the scope document.