4 ms·

The US is actually the leader here, but typical of the discourse on HN, people love to promote their own ideas above facts. This ban eliminates immediately all

by refurb 3y ago

The US is actually the leader here, but typical of the discourse on HN, people love to promote their own ideas above facts. This ban eliminates immediately all use in the US, including chlorine plants. The 2005 EU “ban” on asbestos has an exception for chlorine plants. This will eventually be phased out in 1 July 2025. Jeeze EU, get with the times! Why does the US have to demonstrate the right path before you take it? /s https://chemycal.com/news/e6b71d43-1892-454c-80a9-740207f556b9/New_EU_regulation_amendment_outlaws_all_asbestos_products https://chemycal.com/news/e6b71d43-1892-454c-80a9-740207f556...

Skgqie1 3y ago
Asbestos has been completely banned in Australia since 2003.
- stevejb 3y ago
  Australia also probably has some of the worst deployments of asbestos in the developed world. Drive around even nice neighborhoods in Sydney and you’ll see plenty of cracking and breaking “fibro”, a cement asbestos sheet. Canberra is full of asbestos. They had to completely remove an asbestos mining town (Wittenoom) from the map because it was so contaminated. There is a ton of asbestos currently in Australian households. Plenty of aussies drink water collected in tanks off of asbestos cement roofs.
  - Skgqie1 3y ago
    Yes - unfortunately we have a lot of leftover usages of asbestos. Historically, it was used a lot. My father even remembers playing around in the bush as a kid, and using asbestos for chalk a bunch of time to mark stuff on trees. My friends dad also remembers coming home covered in asbestos after work a bunch of times too. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment about seeing asbestos in nice neighbourhoods. It depends how you define nice. Asbestos was banned in 2003,but hasn't been used in housing since the 80s, so it's only going to be in older developments that you'll really encounter it. Your wording regarding "plenty of Aussies" is also unclear to me. The numbers as a percentage are going to be very low, but it undoubtedly is a thing.
    - stevejb 3y ago
      I was visiting a relative in their $3M+ house in Bronte and saw plenty of it. Not in the front facades of the homes, but drive through the back alleys, and you can spot some in < 1 min. I remember an uncle there who's neighbor had a fibro cement mail box which was built into some stone work. I agree my usage of "plenty" was more in absolute terms. It is probably thousands to tens of thousands, which is small in percentage terms. I also spent a lot of time on Australian farms, and they have lots of asbestos sheets buried in places. Most farmers would rather pile it up or bury it then pay the costs of having it removed properly.
naet 3y ago
The new ban does not immediately eliminate all use in the US, it allows up to twelve years from now (depending on number of facilities) for companies to phase out their usage, including chlorine plants.
refurb 3y ago
Not that I care about downvotes, but it’s interesting that posting actual facts, correcting a highly upvoted false comment, gets you down-votes.
- irviss 3y ago
  It's because you come off as the typical arrogant american.
  - refurb 3y ago
    And the comment I replied to came across as the typical “America bad” stereotype. Yet it’s heavily upvoted?
happytiger 3y ago
We’re both wrong. Apparently Australia is the actual leader.

by refurb 3y ago

Skgqie1 3y ago

Asbestos has been completely banned in Australia since 2003.

stevejb 3y ago
Australia also probably has some of the worst deployments of asbestos in the developed world. Drive around even nice neighborhoods in Sydney and you’ll see plenty of cracking and breaking “fibro”, a cement asbestos sheet. Canberra is full of asbestos. They had to completely remove an asbestos mining town (Wittenoom) from the map because it was so contaminated. There is a ton of asbestos currently in Australian households. Plenty of aussies drink water collected in tanks off of asbestos cement roofs.
- Skgqie1 3y ago
  Yes - unfortunately we have a lot of leftover usages of asbestos. Historically, it was used a lot. My father even remembers playing around in the bush as a kid, and using asbestos for chalk a bunch of time to mark stuff on trees. My friends dad also remembers coming home covered in asbestos after work a bunch of times too. I'm not sure I agree with your assessment about seeing asbestos in nice neighbourhoods. It depends how you define nice. Asbestos was banned in 2003,but hasn't been used in housing since the 80s, so it's only going to be in older developments that you'll really encounter it. Your wording regarding "plenty of Aussies" is also unclear to me. The numbers as a percentage are going to be very low, but it undoubtedly is a thing.
  - stevejb 3y ago
    I was visiting a relative in their $3M+ house in Bronte and saw plenty of it. Not in the front facades of the homes, but drive through the back alleys, and you can spot some in < 1 min. I remember an uncle there who's neighbor had a fibro cement mail box which was built into some stone work. I agree my usage of "plenty" was more in absolute terms. It is probably thousands to tens of thousands, which is small in percentage terms. I also spent a lot of time on Australian farms, and they have lots of asbestos sheets buried in places. Most farmers would rather pile it up or bury it then pay the costs of having it removed properly.

naet 3y ago

The new ban does not immediately eliminate all use in the US, it allows up to twelve years from now (depending on number of facilities) for companies to phase out their usage, including chlorine plants.

refurb 3y ago

Not that I care about downvotes, but it’s interesting that posting actual facts, correcting a highly upvoted false comment, gets you down-votes.

irviss 3y ago
It's because you come off as the typical arrogant american.
- refurb 3y ago
  And the comment I replied to came across as the typical “America bad” stereotype. Yet it’s heavily upvoted?

happytiger 3y ago

We’re both wrong. Apparently Australia is the actual leader.