Bill > S3262

Introduced Session

This bill would prohibit the sale, offering for sale, or distribution of products containing asbestos in New Jersey. The prohibition in the bill would take effect on the first day of the fourth month after the bill is enacted into law. The bill would also grant the DEP authority to enter, during normal business hours, and upon presentation of appropriate credentials, any retail establishment in order to determine compliance. Under the bill, a person who violates this bill would be subject to a penalty of up to $2,500 for each offense. The bill would also allow the DEP to seek an injunction against a violator. Asbestos is a mineral fiber that occurs in rock and soil. Because of its fiber strength and heat resistance, asbestos has been used in a variety of building construction materials for insulation and as a fire retardant. Asbestos has also been used in a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings. While most uses of asbestos are banned by federal regulation, some uses of asbestos are not banned in the United States. Exposure to asbestos increases the risk of developing lung disease. In general, the greater the exposure to asbestos, the greater the chance of developing harmful health effects, such as: lung cancer; mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart; and asbestosis, a serious progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease of the lungs. The United States Environmental Protection Agency recently adopted a new rule that may allow the manufacture of new products containing asbestos on a case-by-case basis. Due to the well-known and devastating health effects of exposure to asbestos, it is appropriate for this State to act to prohibit the sale or distribution of products containing asbestos in the State.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Linda Greenstein (D)*,  Tom Kean (R)*,  Christopher Bateman (R),  Nellie Pou (D), 

Substituted by A4416 (1R) (on 02/21/2019)