EPA Asbestos Regulation Re-Evaluation Scientific and Legal Implications

This deep-dive webinar examines the scientific and legal implications of the EPA’s March 2020 draft risk evaluation for asbestos. Expert panelists from the fields of law, geology, and toxicology analyze the agency’s controversial shift in risk assessment and its potential to reshape the future of asbestos and talc litigation.

Core Discussion Topics

• Methodological Critiques: An evaluation of the “layer of flaws” in the EPA’s draft, including the selection of non-representative epidemiological cohorts and the failure to validate models against real-world data from break mechanic studies.
• Geological & Mineralogical Profiles: A technical look at the structural differences between chrysotile and amphibole asbestos, and how these differences influence fiber persistence and biological response.
• The “Chrysotile Defense” in Litigation: How the EPA’s re-evaluation of fiber potency could impact long-standing legal pillars and causation theories (such as “visible dust” or “single fiber” theories) in jurisdictions like NYAL and Illinois.
• Regulatory Precedent: The collateral impact this evaluation may have on other federal agencies, including the FDA’s ongoing scrutiny of talc-based products.

Featured Speakers

• Clifford Pascarella – Attorney, CMBG₃ Law (Moderator)
• Alan Seagrave – Principal Scientist, Seagrave Technical Consulting Inc. (Geology/Mineralogy Expert)
• Evan Beckett – Health Scientist & CIH, Cardno ChemRisk (Toxicology/Industrial Hygiene Expert)