EPA Ordered to Seek Broader Asbestos Data, Scrap ‘Loopholes’ (3)

The EPA must expand its information-gathering efforts on health risks related to asbestos, a federal court ruled Tuesday.

The Environmental Protection Agency’s current approach contains multiple “loopholes” that prevent government officials from getting reliable industry information about the known carcinogen, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ruled, siding with states and public health groups.

“These loopholes are large and cannot be cured by EPA’s modeling efforts without sufficiently reliable and comprehensive raw data inputs,” Judge Edward M. Chen wrote. “The EPA has not demonstrated it has a sufficient grasp of the universe of available information ...