Fighting Cancer: Historic Anti-Asbestos Legislation Moving Forward With Support of Meso Foundation

LEGAL AFFAIRS EDITORS

Contact: Christopher E. Hahn of The Meso Foundation, Office, +1-805-563-8400, Cell, +1-805-252-8955, chahn@curemeso.org; or Joel Schnur for The Meso Foundation, Office, +1-212-489-0600 x204, Cell, +1-917-647-2249, joel@schnurassociates.com

SANTA BARBARA, Calif., May 19 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Six years ago, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) first introduced her proposed legislation to ban asbestos and invest federal funding in the research critically needed to develop effective treatments for the vicious cancer, mesothelioma, and other asbestos related diseases. Since 2002, the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation (Meso Foundation) has worked closely with Senator Murray to stop the death and suffering and to get this life-saving legislation passed. On October 4th, 2007, 120 Meso Foundation volunteer advocates from all over the country descended on Capitol Hill, meeting with their Senators, and urging support for the legislation. By the end of that very day, the Senate unanimously passed it.

On the House side, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) introduced the companion legislation as The Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevent Mesothelioma Act of 2007 (H.R. 3339). The Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee of the House's Energy and Commerce Committee (E&C Committee) has taken the lead on the legislation. In its draft, known as the Committee Print, the Environment and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee has carried forward Senator Murray's work on the ban, eliminating an exception for asbestos present at 1% or less by weight, making the ban a matter of federal statute rather than EPA regulation, and adding enforcement provisions.