The Nation - News from Feb. 1, 1985

The Environmental Protection Agency is pulling back, at least temporarily, from its attempt to ban use of asbestos, officials said. The agency will announce today that it is formally referring asbestos matters to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Consumer Product Safety Commission under a procedure it has never used before, said spokesman David Ryan. Last summer, the EPA sought Office of Management and Budget approval to ban asbestos for some uses, but the budget office refused to approve publication of the proposal on grounds that it would cost too much to the economy in view of the number of lives saved.