Asbestos Information Act of 1988
PL 100-577 (H.R.5442), enacted 10/31/1988

PUBLIC LAW 100-577—OCT. 31, 1988 
102 STAT. 2901 
Public Law 100-577 
100th Congress 
An Act 
To provide the Environmental Protection Agency and the public with additional 
information about asbestos products. 
Be it enacted 
by the Senate 
and House of Representatives 
of the 
United States of America 
in Congress 
assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the "Asbestos Information Act of 1988". 
SEC. 2. SUBMISSION OF INFORMATION BY MANUFACTURERS. 
Within 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, any 
person who manufactured or processed, before the date of the 
enactment of this Act, asbestos or asbestos-containing material that 
was prepared for sale for use as surfacing material, thermal system 
insulation, or miscellaneous material in buildings (or whose cor-
porate predecessor manufactured or processed such asbestos or 
material) shall submit to the Administrator of the Environmental 
Protection Agency the years of manufacture, the types or classes of 
product, and, to the extent available, other identifying characteris-
tics reasonably necessary to identify or distinguish the asbestos or 
asbestos-containing material. Such person also may submit to the 
Administrator protocols for samples of asbestos and 
asbestos-
containing material. 
SEC. 3. PUBLICATION OF INFORMATION. 
Within 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
Administrator shall publish a notice in the Federal Register that 
explains how, when, and where the information specified in section 
2 is to be submitted. The Administrator shall receive and organize 
the information submitted under section 2 and, within 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, shall publish the 
information. In carrying out this section, the Administrator may 
not— 
(1) review the information submitted under section 2 for 
accuracy, or 
(2) analyze such information to determine whether it is 
reasonably necessary to identify or distinguish the particular 
asbestos or asbestos-containing material. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) The term "asbestos" means— 
(A) chrysotile, amosite, or crocidolite, or 
(B) in fibrous form, tremolite, anthophyllite, or actinolite. 
(2) The term "asbestos-containing material" means any mate-
rial containing more than one percent asbestos by weight. 
(3) The term "identifying characteristics" means a description 
of asbestos or asbestos-containing material, including— 
Oct. 31, 1988 
[H.R. 5442] 
Asbestos 
Information Act 
of 1988. 
15 use 2607 
note. 
15 use 2607 
note. 
15 use 2607 
note. 
Federal 
Register, 
publication. 
15 use 2607 
note. 
102 STAT. 2902 
PUBLIC LAW 100-577—OCT. 31, 1988 
(A) the mineral or chemical constituents (or both) of the 
asbestos or material by weight or volume (or both), 
(B) the types or classes of the product in which the 
asbestos or material is contained, 
(C) the designs, patterns, or textures of the product in 
which the asbestos or material is contained, and 
(D) the means by which the product in which the asbestos 
or material is contained may be distinguishable from other 
products 
containing 
asbestos 
or 
asbestos-containing 
material. 
(4) The term "miscellaneous material" means building mate-
rial on structural components, structural members, or fixtures, 
such as floor and ceiling tiles. The term does not include 
surfacing material or thermal system insulation. 
(5) The term "protocol" means any procedure for taking, 
handling, and preserving samples of asbestos and asbestos-
containing material and for testing and analyzing such samples 
for the purpose of determining the person who manufactured or 
processed for sale such samples and the identifying characteris-
tics of such samples. 
(6) The term "surfacing material" means material in a build-
ing that is sprayed on surfaces, troweled on surfaces, or other-
wise applied to surfaces for acoustical, fireproofing, or other 
purposes, such as acoustical plaster on ceilings and fireproofing 
material on structural members. 
(7) The term "thermal system insulation" means material in 
a building applied to pipes, fittings, boilers, breeching, tanks, 
ducts, or other structural components to prevent heat loss or 
gain or water condensation, or for other purposes. 
Approved October 31, 1988. 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—H.R. 5442: 
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 134 (1988): 
Oct. 4, considered and passed House. 
Oct. 12, considered and passed Senate.