Do the brakes on your car contain asbestos fibers? The U.S. Geological Survey reports that domestic imports of asbestos brake materials have increased by 300% in the past decade. Last year, the country imported $208.9 million of asbestos products, of which $124.6 million were of asbestos brake materials, according to figures released by the U.S.G.S.

Asbestos containing materials continue to make their way into the United States, while lawmakers focus their efforts on passing legislation that would end all asbestos lawsuits and instead compensate asbestos cancer victims from a set schedule based on their disease.

“I was shocked at the increase in asbestos imports and shocked for two reasons,” said Steve Johnson, the acting deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. “One is just the number, the amount of the increase. The second is that given all of the tort liability issues that are swirling around asbestos, I just can’t imagine why a manufacturer or importer of asbestos products would want to make themselves vulnerable to these types of suits.”

More than 33 countries have banned asbestos, but in the United States it is still legal to mine, import and sell asbestos.

“You cannot underestimate the power of the Canadians when it comes to protecting their asbestos,” said Dr. Barry Castleman, a former consultant to the European Union on asbestos issues and public health specialist. “They were effective in killing EPA’s ban and their presence is still obvious. They want a bigger piece of the U.S. market.

“With so many countries banning the import of asbestos, Canada needs to be able to point to the United States as a consumer to convince third-world nations that it’s still safe to use Canadian asbestos. Canada is truly the great Satan of asbestos.”.

(via St. Louis Post-Dispatch)