The Nation - News from Feb. 3, 1988

A tenfold reduction in workers’ exposure to asbestos ordered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration two years ago was upheld by the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. In a 43-page ruling, the court rejected challenges to the standards brought by asbestos industries. But the three-judge panel sent the rules back to the agency for revision, saying OSHA failed to justify why it did not order a more stringent twentyfold reduction wanted by unions for workers who manufacture and repair auto brakes. The court said the agency also gave inadequate evidence for its ban on all spraying of asbestos-containing products and its refusal to adopt short-term exposure limits and smoking-related regulations. The tenfold reduction will remain in effect while OSHA addresses issues raised by the ruling.