Press Release
 

Asbestos Victims' Groups Send Joint Letter to Sen. Specter

Concerns Voiced Over Trust Fund Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Leaders of the nation's top asbestos victims' organizations sent a letter to Congress today voicing their concerns over the newly proposed asbestos trust fund bill currently under review in the Senate Judiciary Committee. The groups say that Senator Specter's asbestos legislation is unfair to victims.

The Committee to Protect Mesothelioma Victims (CPMV) and the Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) wrote Senator Specter on behalf of thousands of asbestos victims across the country who are now sick and dying.

Last year, the groups opposed Senator Orrin Hatch's asbestos legislation, the so-called FAIR Act, for a number of reasons including the lack of sufficient funding, the backlog of claims the bill would create and the unfair exposure criteria. The groups say the new bill does not improve upon this legislation as it was intended.

Susan Vento, Chairperson of the CPMV, and Linda Reinstein, Chairperson of the ADAO say in the letter that: "Senator Specter's asbestos trust fund bill would not only not improve upon the FAIR Act, but it would make the process worse for victims. The proposed funding is grossly insufficient, the bill would penalize plaintiffs who duly filed their claims in court before the enactment of the bill, without any compensation or recourse for the costs they have incurred in pursuing such claims and it still falls far short of adequately funding much-needed research, education and prevention."

The groups commend Sen. Specter for his efforts but oppose his trust fund legislation because it takes away victims' rights by forcing their claims into an untested federal bureaucracy.

For more information on problems with the GOP proposal visit www.asbestostruth.org.

**************************************

The Committee to Protect Mesothelioma Victims (CPMV) is an organization founded by asbestos victims and their families and friends. CPMV works to raise awareness on national asbestos issues and ensure that victims' rights are properly represented and protected on both a local and national level. For more information, www.asbestostruth.org.

The Asbestos Disease Awareness Organization (ADAO) was founded by asbestos victims and their families. ADAO seeks to give asbestos victims and concerned citizens a united voice to help ensure that their rights are fairly represented and protected, while raising public awareness about the dangers of asbestos exposure and often deadly asbestos related diseases. For more information, visit www.asbestosdiseaseawareness.org.