III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 449 

Designating the first week of April 2018 as ‘‘National Asbestos Awareness 

Week’’. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 22, 2018 

Mr. TESTER (for himself, Mr. DAINES, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. DURBIN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. WHITEHOUSE, Ms. HARRIS, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. MERKLEY, Mr. 

BOOKER, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. ISAKSON, and Ms. WARREN) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Designating the first week of April 2018 as ‘‘National 

Asbestos Awareness Week’’. 

Whereas dangerous asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot 

be smelled or tasted; 

Whereas the inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers can cause 

significant damage; 

Whereas asbestos fibers can cause cancer (such as mesothelioma), asbestosis, and other health problems; 

Whereas symptoms of asbestos-related diseases can take between 10 and 50 years to present themselves; 

Whereas the projected life expectancy for an individual diagnosed with mesothelioma is between 6 and 24 months; 


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•SRES 449 ATS 

Whereas generally, little is known about late-stage treatment 

of asbestos-related diseases, and there is no cure for 

those diseases; 

Whereas early detection of asbestos-related diseases may give 

some patients increased treatment options and might improve the prognoses of those patients; 

Whereas while the consumption of asbestos within the United 

States has been substantially reduced, the United States 

continues to consume tons of the fibrous mineral each 

year for use in certain products throughout the United 

States; 

Whereas asbestos-related diseases have killed thousands of 

people in the United States; 

Whereas while exposure to asbestos continues, safety and prevention of asbestos exposure already has significantly reduced the incidence of asbestos-related diseases and can 

further reduce the incidence of those diseases; 

Whereas thousands of workers in the United States face significant asbestos exposure, which has been a cause of occupational cancer; 

Whereas thousands of people in the United States die from 

asbestos-related diseases every year; 

Whereas a significant percentage of all asbestos-related disease victims were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and 

in shipyards; 

Whereas asbestos was used in the construction of a significant number of office buildings and public facilities built 

before 1975; 

Whereas people in the small community of Libby, Montana, 

suffer from asbestos-related diseases, including mesotheVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:25 Mar 23, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR449.ATS SR449

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•SRES 449 ATS 

lioma, at a significantly higher rate than people in the 

United States as a whole; and 

Whereas the designation of a ‘‘National Asbestos Awareness 

Week’’ will raise public awareness about the prevalence of 

asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) designates the first week of April 2018 as 

3 ‘‘National Asbestos Awareness Week’’; 

4 (2) urges the Surgeon General of the United 

5 States to warn and educate people about the public 

6 health issue of asbestos exposure, which may be haz7 ardous to their health; and 

8 (3) respectfully requests that the Secretary of 

9 the Senate transmit a copy of this resolution to the 

10 Office of the Surgeon General. 

Æ 


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