Water Disinfection Shortage Feared From EPA’s Asbestos Rule

Water utilities warn they may be unable to get sufficient disinfection chemicals to protect the public’s health if the EPA moves ahead with a plan to give chemical producers only two years to phase out their use of asbestos.

A rule (RIN: 2070-AK86) the EPA proposed in April would ban ongoing uses of chrysotile asbestos within two years. About one-third of the US supply of chlorine and caustic soda, which utilities use to disinfect water, is made with equipment that depends on asbestos.

Olin Corp., OxyChem Corp., and Westlake Corp. operate nine chemical manufacturing facilities, or chloralkali plants, ...