What year did Johns Manville stop using asbestos?

Johns Manville stopped using asbestos in the majority of its insulation and building products in 1974 to 1975, following new federal regulations and mounting health evidence. Johns Manville was historically the largest producer of asbestos-containing products in the United States, making products like Thermobestos and Kaylo calcium silicate pipe insulation, asbestos cement boards, and roofing felts that contained asbestos from the 1920s onward. By the late 1960s, studies clearly linked asbestos to mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration established its first asbestos exposure limits in 1971 and tightened them in 1972. In response, Johns Manville began phasing out asbestos, reformulating products to use fiberglass and other fibers. Most asbestos-containing pipe and block insulation production ceased by mid-1974, and by 1975 the company's consumer insulation lines were largely asbestos-free. However, asbestos-containing inventory remained in warehouses and in buildings for years. The company faced over 20,000 lawsuits, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982, and created the Manville Personal Injury Settlement Trust in 1988. Any Johns Manville insulation you buy today at retail, such as Climate Pro, ComfortTherm, or MinWool, is completely asbestos-free and certified to meet modern safety standards.