III 108th CONGRESS 2d Session S. RES. 448 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES October 6, 2004 Mr. Reid submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTION Designating the first day of April 2005 as National Asbestos Awareness Day.

Whereas deadly asbestos fibers are invisible and cannot be smelled or tasted; Whereas when airborne fibers are inhaled or swallowed, the damage is permanent and irreversible; Whereas these fibers can cause mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and pleural diseases; Whereas asbestos-related diseases can take 10 to 50 years to present themselves; Whereas the expected survival rate of those diagnosed with mesothelioma is between 6 and 24 months; Whereas little is known about late stage treatment and there is no cure for asbestos-related diseases; Whereas early detection of asbestos-related diseases would give patients increased treatment options and often improve their prognosis; Whereas asbestos is a toxic and dangerous substance and must be disposed of properly; Whereas nearly half of the more than 1,000 screened firefighters, police officers, rescue workers, and volunteers who responded to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001, have new and persistent respiratory problems; Whereas the industry groups with the highest incidence rates of asbestos-related diseases, based on 2000 to 2002 figures, were shipyard workers, vehicle body builders (including rail vehicles), pipefitters, carpenters and electricians, construction (including insulation work and stripping), extraction, energy and water supply, and manufacturing; Whereas the United States imports more than 30,000,000 pounds of asbestos used in products throughout the Nation; Whereas asbestos-related diseases kill 10,000 people in the United States each year, and the numbers are increasing; Whereas asbestos exposure is responsible for 1 in every 125 deaths of men over the age of 50; Whereas safety and prevention will reduce asbestos exposure and asbestos-related diseases; Whereas asbestos has been the largest single cause of occupational cancer; Whereas asbestos is still a hazard for 1,300,000 workers in the United States; Whereas asbestos-related deaths have greatly increased in the last 20 years and are expected to continue to increase; Whereas 30 percent of all asbestos-related disease victims were exposed to asbestos on naval ships and in shipyards; Whereas asbestos was used in the construction of virtually all office buildings, public schools, and homes built before 1975; and Whereas the establishment of a National Asbestos Awareness Day would raise public awareness about the prevalence of asbestos-related diseases and the dangers of asbestos exposure: Now, therefore, be it

That the Senate designates the first day of April 2005 as National Asbestos Awareness Day.