The U.S. Senate Just Declared National Asbestos Awareness Week — Here’s Why It Matters for You and Your Family

Table of Contents

1. What Just Happened in the U.S. Senate
2. The Science Is Clear: No Safe Level of Asbestos
3. Who Is Still at Risk in New Jersey and Pennsylvania?
4. What Global Asbestos Awareness Week Means for Victims and Families
5. Asbestos in Homes, Buildings, and Jobsites: What You Should Do
6. The Fight for a Full U.S. Ban — and Why It Matters Legally
7. Your Legal Rights If You’ve Been Exposed
8. FAQs: Asbestos Awareness Week and Your Health
9. How CPR Can Help

Answer Box: What Is National Asbestos Awareness Week?

National Asbestos Awareness Week (April 1–7, 2026) is an annual designation passed by the U.S. Senate recognizing the ongoing public health threat posed by asbestos — a known human carcinogen that still causes approximately 40,000 American deaths each year. The 2026 resolution, passed by unanimous consent and championed by Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Steve Daines (R-MT), urges the U.S. Surgeon General to issue a formal asbestos warning. New Jersey’s own Senator Cory Booker is a cosponsor. The week coincides with Global Asbestos Awareness Week (#2026GAAW), organized by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) under the theme Asbestos: One Word. One Week. One World. There is no safe level of asbestos exposure. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may have legal rights to compensation. Quick steps: (1) Seek a specialist physician immediately; (2) Document all known exposure history; (3) Contact an experienced asbestos attorney.

What Just Happened in the U.S. Senate 

On March 27, 2026, the United States Senate passed — by unanimous consent — a bipartisan resolution designating April 1 through 7 as the 21st National Asbestos Awareness Week. This is not a formality. It is a formal declaration by the full Senate that asbestos remains a dangerous, ongoing public health crisis in this country. The resolution was led by Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon, a longtime champion of asbestos legislation who has previously chaired Senate hearings on banning asbestos entirely from the U.S. market. His Republican partner, Senator Steve Daines of Montana, co-led the effort — reflecting the rare bipartisan consensus on this issue. Senators Dick Durbin of Illinois, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, Alex Padilla of California, and New Jersey’s own Senator Cory Booker joined as cosponsors. The resolution does more than raise awareness. It specifically calls on the U.S. Surgeon General to issue a renewed asbestos warning — a direct acknowledgment that federal health authorities need to do more to communicate the dangers of this mineral to the American public. As Senator Merkley put it: asbestos is a carcinogen that has killed far too many, and it remains a dangerous public health threat that must be ended once and for all. At Cohen, Placitella & Roth, we have spent decades in courtrooms fighting for the families this crisis has destroyed. We welcome this bipartisan action and stand alongside the advocates who made it happen.

The Science Is Clear: No Safe Level of Asbestos

Despite decades of litigation, legislation, and public health campaigns, one fact bears repeating every single year: there is no safe level of asbestos exposure. This is not a legal theory. It is the settled scientific consensus of every major health authority in the world — the National Cancer Institute, the Centers for Disease Control, the American Public Health Association, the World Health Organization, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which classifies asbestos as a known human carcinogen. According to the ADAO, approximately 40,000 Americans die every year from preventable asbestos-related diseases. These include:

• Mesothelioma — an aggressive cancer of the lining of the lungs, abdomen, or heart, almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure
• Asbestos-related lung cancer — particularly dangerous for workers who also smoked, though asbestos exposure alone is sufficient to cause it
• Asbestosis — a chronic, progressive scarring of lung tissue that impairs breathing and quality of life
• Ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer — also strongly associated with asbestos, per the American Public Health Association

What makes asbestos especially insidious is its long latency period. Exposure may have occurred 20, 30, or even 50 years before a diagnosis. Many of our clients never connected their illness to a job they held decades ago — until we helped them trace the exposure.

Who Is Still at Risk in New Jersey and Pennsylvania?

New Jersey and Pennsylvania are among the states with the highest historical asbestos exposure burdens in the country — and that legacy exposure continues to harm families today. Workers in the following industries are among those most likely to have been exposed:

• Shipbuilding and naval yards (including those who worked at the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard)
• Construction, renovation, and demolition — older buildings throughout NJ and PA contain asbestos in insulation, floor tiles, ceiling tiles, pipe wrap, and roofing materials
• Chemical and oil refinery workers — widespread in South Jersey and along the Delaware River corridor
• Automotive mechanics — brake pads and gaskets historically contained asbestos
• Electricians and plumbers — who routinely disturbed asbestos-containing materials in older buildings
• Firefighters — occupational asbestos exposure remains the number-one cause of cancer death among firefighters nationally
• Teachers and school staff — many NJ and PA schools built before 1980 still contain asbestos
• Talc– People who unwittingly were exposed to asbestos contaminated talc products

Additionally, secondary exposure — brought home on work clothing and inhaled by spouses and children — has caused mesothelioma in family members who never set foot on a job site. If you or a family member has received an asbestos-related diagnosis, the source of exposure may be traceable, and legal accountability may be available.

What Global Asbestos Awareness Week Means for Victims and Families

National Asbestos Awareness Week serves as the foundation for the 22nd Annual Global Asbestos Awareness Week (GAAW), organized by the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) under the theme: Asbestos: One Word. One Week. One World. This week-long initiative brings together scientists, policymakers, survivors, and advocates from around the world through daily themes:

• Day 1: A Movement Begins — Legacy, Facts, and Occupational Cancer Prevention
• Day 2: Global Public Health — Science, Storytelling, and Prevention Failure
• Day 3: Art, Advocacy, and Action — Humanizing Data to Drive Change
• Day 4: Policy and Justice — Prevention Through Law and Accountability
• Day 5: Global Solidarity — Labor, Legacy, and Ending Profitable Harm
• Day 6: Digital Tools for Prevention — AI, Access, and Global Reach
• Day 7: Virtual Candlelight Vigil and Remembrance — Honoring Lives, Renewing Commitment

The ADAO’s Virtual Candlelight Vigil on April 7 — which also coincides with World Health Day — is an opportunity to honor those lost to asbestos-related disease and reaffirm a global commitment to prevention. We encourage our clients, co-counsel, and community to participate and share these resources widely.

Asbestos in Homes, Buildings, and Jobsites: What You Should Do

Asbestos does not only belong to history. It remains present in millions of American homes, schools, commercial buildings, and industrial sites — particularly those built before 1980. The Environmental Information Association (EIA) emphasizes a critical rule: a thorough asbestos survey must always be conducted before any renovation or demolition. Do not disturb materials that may contain asbestos. Leave testing, abatement, and removal to properly licensed professionals. Common locations where asbestos may still be found:

• Floor tiles and adhesive (“black mastic”)
• Pipe and boiler insulation
• Ceiling tiles and textured “popcorn” ceilings
• Roof shingles and siding
• Drywall joint compound (in pre-1980 construction)
• Electrical wiring insulation
• HVAC duct insulation
• Cosmetic talc

If you are planning a home renovation in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, contact your state environmental agency or a licensed asbestos inspector before beginning any work. The NJ Department of Environmental Protection and the PA Department of Environmental Protection both maintain licensed contractor registries.

The Fight for a Full U.S. Ban — and Why It Matters Legally

Nearly 70 countries have banned asbestos outright. The United States is not among them. While significant regulatory progress has been made — including the EPA’s 2024 Part I rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) addressing chrysotile asbestos — that rule is now under active legal challenge. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit is set to hear oral arguments in Texas Chemistry Council v. EPA in June 2026, where industry groups are attempting to dismantle the EPA’s regulatory authority. This fight in the courts mirrors what we do every day in our practice: holding accountable those who have known for decades that asbestos kills, yet continued to manufacture, distribute, and conceal that danger. Senator Merkley has previously championed the Alan Reinstein Ban Asbestos Now Act (ARBAN) — comprehensive legislation that would prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution of commercial asbestos in the United States. ADAO and a broad coalition of health, labor, and environmental organizations continue to push for its passage. Until a full ban is enacted and enforced, asbestos will continue to enter this country and continue to harm workers, families, and communities.

Your Legal Rights If You’ve Been Exposed

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestos-related lung cancer, or asbestosis, you may have the right to pursue compensation from the companies responsible for your exposure — regardless of how long ago it occurred. New Jersey and Pennsylvania law both provide pathways to justice, including:

• Personal injury claims against manufacturers, distributors, property owners, and employers who knew of asbestos dangers and failed to protect workers
• Wrongful death claims for families who have lost a loved one to an asbestos-related disease
• Asbestos bankruptcy trust claims — many companies that produced asbestos-containing products have established compensation trusts as part of bankruptcy proceedings, providing a separate avenue for recovery
• Veterans’ benefits — military veterans, particularly Navy veterans and those who served in shipyards or aboard ships, face some of the highest rates of mesothelioma diagnoses in the country and may have additional VA benefit claims available

Time matters. Statutes of limitations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania apply to asbestos claims, and the clock typically begins to run from the date of diagnosis — not the date of exposure. Do not delay consulting with an attorney. At Cohen, Placitella & Roth, we have represented mesothelioma victims and their families for decades. We understand the science, the history of corporate concealment, and the legal strategies required to achieve full and fair outcomes. We work on a contingency basis — you pay nothing unless we recover for you.

How CPR Can Help

At Cohen, Placitella & Roth, we have dedicated our careers to pursuing justice for people harmed by toxic exposures — including asbestos. Our attorneys have tried asbestos and mesothelioma cases before juries across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the country. We are committed to leaving no stone unturned.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with mesothelioma, lung cancer, or asbestosis — or if you believe you may have been exposed to asbestos on the job, in your home, or through a family member’s work — we are here to listen and help.

Your consultation is free. We work on contingency — no fee unless we recover for you.

Pursue Justice. Champion People.