Anna D. Knudson began working on asbestos related issues in 2000, when she served as a Legislative Assistant to United States Senator Patty Murray in Washington, D.C.  Ms. Knudson helped Senator Murray draft the Ban Asbestos in America Act, first introduced in 2002, which would finally ban asbestos products in the United States.  The bill also requires a public education campaign to increase awareness of the dangers of asbestos and authorizes increased funding for asbestos disease research and treatments, including for mesothelioma.

Ms. Knudson’s work for Senator Murray gave Ms. Knudson the opportunity to collaborate with asbestos disease victims and thus to learn first hand the terrible human costs of our society’s ongoing, ubiquitous use of this toxic material.  More information about Senator Murray’s dogged efforts to ban asbestos and raise awareness about the dangers of this deadly substance can be found at http://murray.senate.gov/asbestos.

Originally from Olympia, Washington, Anna Knudson graduated with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut.  After Wesleyan, Ms. Knudson worked on air quality issues for the Maryland Department of the Environment in Baltimore.  She later earned a Masters Degree in Public Policy, with an emphasis in Environmental Policy, from the University of Maryland.  In 2006, she graduated from the University of Washington School of Law.

Ms. Knudson has recently spoken about efforts to ban asbestos at the following seminars and conferences:

Seattle University School of Law, Environmental Roundup CLE

November 30, 2007, Seattle, Washington

Environmental Information Association

February 21, 2008, Las Vegas, Nevada

Ms. Knudson is licensed to practice law in Washington State.