Once again US congressional approval of a $US140 billion fund for asbestos victims is lagging, this time with a surge of opposition from smaller businesses which say the arrangements for the division of fund contributions would put disproportionate financial demands on them.

The Coalition for Asbestos Reform (CAR), representing small and medium-sized businesses and major insurance companies, has launched a campaign to direct attention on what is seen as flaws in the asbestos liability legislation.

CAR Executive Director Tom O’Brien says the proposed legislation shifts billions of dollars in liability away from the companies that created the asbestos crisis and onto companies “that prudently managed their risk and purchased insurance to protect their stockholders and employees”.

Under the Senate Judiciary Committee legislation, companies would make annual contributions to the trust fund. CAR argues that although the proposed formula would see figures decrease for smaller companies proportionate to market values, the proposed amounts would greatly burden many of those companies.