* In 1973, spraying asbestos-containing materials on buildings to fireproof them was no longer allowed
* In 1977, asbestos was taken out of patching compounds and gas heaters
* As of 1979, hair dryer manufacturers voluntarily recalled products that use asbestos as insulation. They replaced the asbestos with other materials and stopped using asbestos in their new products.
In 1986, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed a 10-year program that would result in a comprehensive ban on commercial use of asbestos. The ban passed in 1989 and the first phase was implemented in 1990, but the rule was overturned by a federal appeals court in 1991. After another two years of clarification, the EPA found itself with six types of asbestos-containing materials still banned, and all others nominally still on the free market (though most categories were rapidly losing popularity).
These six include:
- Flooring felt - asbestos paper saturated with asphalt or another material to serve as underlayment for vinyl tiles or sheet flooring
- "Commercial paper" - used in thin barriers for insulation or muffling
- "Corrugated paper" - similar to corrugated cardboard, but with asbestos in one or more of the layers of paper
- "Rollboard" - two sheets of asbestos paper laminated together (using a roller) into a continuous, flexible sheet. Particularly used in office partitions, garage paneling, linings for stoves and electrical boxes, and fireproofing for security boxes, safes, and file storage.
- "Specialty paper" - for use in filters for beverages and other fluids. Also in cooling towers for liquids from industrial processes and air conditioning systems
- "New uses of asbestos" - products have not historically contained asbestos at of the start of the regulatory process in 1989
Some other regulations under the Clean Air Act restrict other particular methods of applying asbestos-containing materials.
