Sen. Patty Murray Tuesday said that she was optimistic that legislation prohibiting the sale and use of carcinogenic material asbestos will pass this year. Her bill is being co-sponsored by Sen. Barbara Boxer, D.Calif., who chairs the committee. "It's been shocking to me that after six years and a number of deaths of good people, we're still sitting in a committee. I have more hope this year than I've had in six years," Murray said. Boxer said that they must take every reasonable step they can to terminate asbestos exposure once and for all. "When we see our fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers dying from asbestos, there is no justification for allowing the number of dead to continue to mount. We know enough about asbestos to act today," she said. Murray has strong support from all Democratic leaders. She is now in the final stages of negotiations with Georgia Sen. Johnny Isakson on the last remaining issues which is preventing the bill from going ahead. She said that Isakson had been very supportive and agreed with her that they need to ban asbestos imports in the country. "I'm hopeful we'll have a Murray-Isakson bill out of here," she said. Murray said that the main issue to go ahead with the bill is how to deal with manufacturers who use asbestos in the processing of Chlorine. Asbestos is a a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral popular in manufacturing and industry due to its strength, chemical and thermal stability. Types include: chrysotile (which accounted for 95% of industrial use), amosite and crocidolite. It is a notorious carcinogen which kills approximately 10,000 people a year. Despite the health hazards, it is said that asbestos is still used in more than 3000 products. Exposure to asbestos can cause many diseases, including asbestosis and mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare disease -- usually only one case is found in 100,000 people. Symptoms of the disease, which can be found in the linings of the lungs and abdomen, may not appear for decades after exposure. But it kills more than half of its victims within seven months of diagnosis. Asbestos has been already banned in 40 countries. Apart from banning asbestos, the bill also provides $50 million in federal money for studies and research into the causes and curing of diseases related to asbestos. The bill requires the federal government to carry out a more aggressive campaign to enlighten the public regarding the hazards of asbestos.
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