Asbestos No More: Historic Asbestos Ban Passag...(adly that there is no known safe level o...),Health

Those at risk include U.S. military personnel, shipyard workers, brake mechanics, roofers, cement workers, demolition workers, homeowners doing renovations, spouses and children of workers...the list goes on and on. Exposure to asbestos can cause a variety of cancers, the most deadly being mesothelioma. Asbestos diseases usually do not manifest themselves until decades after a person is exposed to asbestos fibers, but then the diseases develop rapidly. Most patients with mesothelioma die within two years of being diagnosed.

"Asbestos is deadly, it's devastating families and communities, and every day that we wait to ban it, we're sentencing more Americans to an early and avoidable death," explains Senator Patty Murray (D-WA).

The Symposium continues this evening, as more than 200 participants are expected to join in a moving Tribute Ceremony and Candlelight Vigil on the West Lawn at the Steps of the Capitol, featuring symposium panelists and participants, including Susan Vento, whose late husband, Congressman Bruce Vento (D-MN), lost the battle against pleural mesothelioma seven years ago.

Friday, October 5th and Saturday, October 6th, the Symposium continues in the Westin City Center, 1400 M. Street, NW, in Washington, D.C., with meso scientific presentations, information and support for meso patients and family members, and further advocacy to help secure ultimate passage of the bill.

On the House side, Congresswoman Betty McCollum (D-MN) has introduced the Bruce Vento Ban Asbestos and Prevent Mesothelioma Act of 2007 (H.R. 3339), to ban asbestos in the United States and expand prevention, research, and treatment for asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma.

"It's long past time that our country banned asbestos," McCollum said. "After decades of
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