[DRAFT] Asbestos Safety Mandate

[The Wallenburgian World Assembly Offices]

A replacement for GAR #435, Asbestos Consumption, Disposal and Worker Protection.

Asbestos Safety Mandate

---

---

Category: Regulation || Area of Effect: Safety || Proposed by: The Wallenburgian World Assembly Offices

---

Recognizing the exceptional characteristics of asbestos fibers and its utility in many industrial applications,

Also recognizing the severe health ramifications to the inhabitants of many member states of prolonged exposure to high concentrations of airborne asbestos,

Encouraging member states to reduce any non-essential asbestos use and replace asbestos-reinforced materials with safer alternatives wherever possible,

The World Assembly hereby enacts these mandates:

1. All buildings containing asbestos or likely to contain asbestos must be inspected for asbestos content and exposure risks to any current or future occupants. Each such building must be inspected for asbestos exposure again periodically, no later than five (5) years after its most recent inspection. Inspectors must be qualified and equipped to locate and detect asbestos in a manner that does not expose occupants to harmful concentrations of asbestos. Member states must maintain records of asbestos exposure resulting from these inspections and must make these records available to current or prospective building occupants upon request.
   
   
2. Member states or their relevant subnational entities must condemn buildings which expose occupants to harmful concentrations of asbestos or present a significant risk within the next five (5) years of exposing any occupants to harmful concentrations of asbestos.
   
   
   1. Such buildings may not be occupied in any manner which exposes individuals to harmful concentrations of asbestos, except as is strictly necessary to the removal of asbestos from the building or the demolition or deconstruction of the building or to the immediate health and safety of the public.
      
      
   2. Food, medicine, clothing, and other goods meant to be in regular contact with or taken into the body may not be stored in any manner reasonably foreseeable to result in contamination with harmful concentrations of asbestos.
3. A Biohazard Control Office is established. It provides administrative assistance in carrying out asbestos inspections, at the request of member states. The Biohazard Control Office also receives reports from building occupants or representative entities on possible asbestos exposure, evaluates the merits of these reports, and conducts investigations on the basis of these reports as it deems responsible. Member states or their relevant subnational entities must surrender to the Biohazard Control Office information necessary to complete investigations.
   
   
   1. If the Biohazard Control Office concludes from its investigation that an inspection was insufficient or likely does not accurately represent the current asbestos exposure risk of a building, the building must be inspected again within two (2) months.
      
      
   2. The Biohazard Control Office reports possible violations of member obligations to the World Assembly Compliance Commission.
4. In all future construction or manufacture of construction components, asbestos may only be used as an ingredient where its use presents no measurable long-term health or safety risk, or where its use is essential to the successful completion of a structure.

[The Wallenburgian World Assembly Offices]

Asbestos Safety Mandate

---

Recognizing the exceptional characteristics of asbestos fibers and its utility in many industrial applications,

Also recognizing the severe health ramifications to the inhabitants of many member states of prolonged exposure to high concentrations of airborne asbestos,

Encouraging member states to reduce any non-essential asbestos use and replace asbestos-reinforced materials with safer alternatives wherever possible,

The World Assembly hereby enacts these mandates:

1. All buildings containing asbestos or likely to contain asbestos must be inspected for asbestos content and exposure to occupants, and must be inspected for asbestos exposure again periodically, no later than five (5) years after the most recent inspection. Inspectors must be qualified and equipped to locate and detect asbestos in a manner which does not expose the building's atmosphere to harmful concentrations of asbestos. Member states must maintain records of asbestos exposure resulting from these inspections, and must make these records available upon request to building occupants.
   
   
2. Member states or their relevant subnational entities must condemn buildings which expose occupants to harmful concentrations of asbestos or present a significant risk within the next five (5) years of exposing any occupants to harmful concentrations of asbestos.
   
   
   1. Such buildings may not be occupied in any manner which exposes individuals to harmful concentrations of asbestos, except as is strictly necessary to the removal of asbestos from the building or the demolition or deconstruction of the building or to the immediate health and safety of the public.
      
      
   2. Food, medicine, clothing, and other goods meant to be in regular contact with or taken into the body may not be stored in air contaminated with harmful concentrations of asbestos.
3. In all future construction or manufacture of construction components, asbestos may only be used as an ingredient where its use presents no measurable long-term health or safety risk, or where its use is essential to the successful completion of a structure.

[Free Algerstonia]

To the World Assembly Office of Wallenburg,

The Free State of Algerstonia opposes this proposal. The Office of International Un-Algerstonican Activities has read through this proposal, and we have determined that this is a plot by the international elite to censor the patriotic opposition against the globalist regime called the "General Assembly" by the brainwashed and the elites. There is significant concerns within our armed and strong citizens that hate globalism that this will quickly be used to render all anti-socialist, anti-globalist, pro-freedom Algerstonicans homeless due to the lack of protocols surrounding the amount of asbestos or how one can tell if a building is likely to contain asbestos. This newest socialist scheme will send tyrannical inspectors inside a sovereign state to brutally kick patriots out of their well-earned homes, occupy their workspaces and living spaces, and get rid of their life's work by savagely destroying them. Algerstonicans have very, very strong immune systems, and we reject the brainwashing by the mainstream media, and we fear no "asbestos". We cannot guarantee that good Algerstonicans will reject the totalitarian occupiers' attempts to invade and destroy our homes by shooting them on the spot, so this is a warning to all inspectors, you better be ready for a fight.

Best,

Algerstonican Free and Secure Anti-Globalist Office of Resistance to Tyranny

[The Wallenburgian World Assembly Offices]

Trevanyika composes a short response to the Algerstonian message, consisting entirely of the campus address, contact information, and operating hours of the World Assembly Headquarters's mental health ward.

[Honeydewistania]

Support due to author

[Vavlar]

Support due to author

Boooo!!! Favoritism! (But as for Wallenburg, good draft.)

[Anne of Cleves in TNP]

“Support in principle. This proposal should ensure that her highness does not die of asbestos while traveling outside her palace. ”
-Ms. Charlotte Schafer, WA Ambassador for the Clevesian Empire

[Magecastle Embassy Building A5]

"I am indeed aware that the number "five" can also be referred to using the symbol "5"."

[Comfed]

"Is this really an international issue?"

[Magecastle Embassy Building A5]

Food, medicine, clothing, and other goods meant to be in regular contact with or taken into the body may not be stored in air contaminated with harmful concentrations of asbestos.

"This mandate will effectively make it illegal to live in an asbestos-reinforced home, which goes against the right to economic freedom. This resolution should focus on protecting, rather than punishing, those foolish enough to expose themselves to asbestos."

~Alexander Nicholas Saverchenko-Colleti,
World Assembly Ambassador,
The Empire of The Ice States

[The Canadian Republic Colonies]

My main suggestion would be to change the wording where it says not to be stored in contaminated air to instead say not to be stored in any contaminated environment. Air can be too vague but then again so can environment because a nation could argue say that the environment means outdoors and not indoors. But if we make it clear that environment in this statute means any area of any size that is either indoor and/or outdoors (the and/or being important to cover thing like enclosed porches that are say an outdoor yet also indoor porch or an outer shed that is still outdoor but also indoor or a hut that has say only a roof or only one or two or three sides to it could also be omitted without the "and/or" included regardless of intent for usage.

Idk just a few ideas. I'm not feeling well today so it may not be as coherent as I think it is. Let me know if it needs more clarification. Be kind lol

[The Canadian Republic Colonies]

I do seen your basic point here. To mitigate that, an international fund should also be established to assist those who are unable to afford the cost of abatement. The international fund would then be granted to each nation who will be tasked with creating their own localized programs utilizing local firms to assist in the abatement process for those in need of it. It could be done on a variety of basis but that basis would be left for the individual nation to decide what the qualifiers are.

Another idea for that would be to also allow the nations to contract local firms that are certified in the abatement process to insure safety and accurate jobs are completed. Financially people could be eligible for the cost of the abatement to be deductible from their taxes If they fall above the income limits for the program and are unable to recieve direct relief. It allows everyone regardless of income then to have access and to make sure that their homes are safe from contamination while also encouraging growth of local economies and driving newer more efficient and safer means of abatement in the process. Allowing local nations to have their environmental agencies run this program may be the best way to do so and if they desire they can then allow even more localized departments to oversee the work in each municipality or region as they see fit. It would make sure that the poor are not displaced from their houses and aren't stuck between chosing to eat or have a home because of a regulation. A grievance process should also be implemented with a database of companies who have received substantiated complaints against them with a 3 strikes rule for participation and economic benefit to them from the program.

Food, medicine, clothing, and other goods meant to be in regular contact with or taken into the body may not be stored in air contaminated with harmful concentrations of asbestos.

"This mandate will effectively make it illegal to live in an asbestos-reinforced home, which goes against the right to economic freedom. This resolution should focus on protecting, rather than punishing, those foolish enough to expose themselves to asbestos."

~Alexander Nicholas Saverchenko-Colleti,
World Assembly Ambassador,
The Empire of The Ice States

[The Wallenburgian World Assembly Offices]

Food, medicine, clothing, and other goods meant to be in regular contact with or taken into the body may not be stored in air contaminated with harmful concentrations of asbestos.

"This mandate will effectively make it illegal to live in an asbestos-reinforced home, which goes against the right to economic freedom. This resolution should focus on protecting, rather than punishing, those foolish enough to expose themselves to asbestos."

~Alexander Nicholas Saverchenko-Colleti,
World Assembly Ambassador,
The Empire of The Ice States

"Most asbestos-reinforced homes do not have dangerous concentrations of airborne asbestos. Those buildings that do absolutely should not be used to store items that will become contaminated and thus themselves become dangerous to people."

My main suggestion would be to change the wording where it says not to be stored in contaminated air to instead say not to be stored in any contaminated environment. Air can be too vague but then again so can environment because a nation could argue say that the environment means outdoors and not indoors. But if we make it clear that environment in this statute means any area of any size that is either indoor and/or outdoors (the and/or being important to cover thing like enclosed porches that are say an outdoor yet also indoor porch or an outer shed that is still outdoor but also indoor or a hut that has say only a roof or only one or two or three sides to it could also be omitted without the "and/or" included regardless of intent for usage.

Idk just a few ideas. I'm not feeling well today so it may not be as coherent as I think it is. Let me know if it needs more clarification. Be kind lol

"You make a good point, 'air' is an unnecessary assumption, and may actually permit some edge cases where storage areas can legally contaminate goods to dangerous effect. Establishing instead that these items 'may not be stored in an environment such that they are exposed to concentrations of asbestos likely to result in harmful contamination' or something to that effect should achieve better results."

I do seen your basic point here. To mitigate that, an international fund should also be established to assist those who are unable to afford the cost of abatement. The international fund would then be granted to each nation who will be tasked with creating their own localized programs utilizing local firms to assist in the abatement process for those in need of it. It could be done on a variety of basis but that basis would be left for the individual nation to decide what the qualifiers are.

"I hesitate to draw on the General Fund or establish yet another fund as so many authors do simply for their own convenience. It's rather unclear how it would help, either, unless the function is actually to bring foreign labor into already disadvantaged countries to achieve the mandates of the proposal."

Another idea for that would be to also allow the nations to contract local firms that are certified in the abatement process to insure safety and accurate jobs are completed. Financially people could be eligible for the cost of the abatement to be deductible from their taxes If they fall above the income limits for the program and are unable to recieve direct relief. It allows everyone regardless of income then to have access and to make sure that their homes are safe from contamination while also encouraging growth of local economies and driving newer more efficient and safer means of abatement in the process. Allowing local nations to have their environmental agencies run this program may be the best way to do so and if they desire they can then allow even more localized departments to oversee the work in each municipality or region as they see fit. It would make sure that the poor are not displaced from their houses and aren't stuck between chosing to eat or have a home because of a regulation. A grievance process should also be implemented with a database of companies who have received substantiated complaints against them with a 3 strikes rule for participation and economic benefit to them from the program.

"The proposal already leaves plenty room for member states to administrate asbestos regulation as they see fit, and explicitly lists subnational entities as an option for condemning select structures. Most of what you propose beyond that seems pointless micromanagement with the potential to actually clog up implementation of the proposal's core mandates. I do like the suggestion for a reporting process, though. The inspection requirements leave rather little room for bad faith behavior toward this proposal's mandates, but requiring a process for any inhabitant to report asbestos contamination for examination would certainly reduce that room even further."

[Simone Republic]

Again, as I mentioned on the repeal, I am still hesitant because, as mentioned last time, I usually live in a country that bans asbestos and I suspect the vote comes down to whether the voters (in real life) live in places that ban asbestos or not.

The main countries IRL that (pretty much) asbestos outright include the EU, Australia, Japan etc. Easy to look up the full list on the Internet so I will do not do here.

[Heavens Reach]

Again, as I mentioned on the repeal, I am still hesitant because, as mentioned last time, I usually live in a country that bans asbestos and I suspect the vote comes down to whether the voters (in real life) live in places that ban asbestos or not.

The main countries IRL that (pretty much) asbestos outright include the EU, Australia, Japan etc. Easy to look up the full list on the Internet so I will do not do here.

OOC: Why do you feel that bias is a problem?

[Wallenburg]

Again, as I mentioned on the repeal, I am still hesitant because, as mentioned last time, I usually live in a country that bans asbestos and I suspect the vote comes down to whether the voters (in real life) live in places that ban asbestos or not.

The main countries IRL that (pretty much) asbestos outright include the EU, Australia, Japan etc. Easy to look up the full list on the Internet so I will do not do here.

I'm fairly certain most WA votes aren't determined by the IRL geographic location of the voting players. An issue as uncharismatic as asbestos does not seem like one to actually manifest such a distribution. And if it is, well, asbestos is legal in the US and most players live in the US, so I should be fine.

[Haganham]

RAW this creates the absurd situation of inspectors checking an asbestos mine for asbestos. But it's equally silly for unoccupied buildings, be they abandoned, or structures like missile silos that aren't meant for human interaction.

I would suggest 1. Read "All occupied buildings"

[The Wallenburgian World Assembly Offices]

Edits have been made

RAW this creates the absurd situation of inspectors checking an asbestos mine for asbestos. But it's equally silly for unoccupied buildings, be they abandoned, or structures like missile silos that aren't meant for human interaction.

I would suggest 1. Read "All occupied buildings"

"Unfortunately, abandoned buildings or buildings designed for minimal interaction by people do not cease to be dangerous. Rather, these are actually especially likely to present health risks, since few people are around to observe any obvious signs of wear or structural damage, and those who do are likely to be marginalized in some way and thereby socially disempowered."