SG 154/23
The EPA has published a proposal that would ban trichloroethylene in essentially all commercial and consumer product uses.
On October 31, 2023, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a proposed rule in the Federal Register (88 FR 74712) to regulate the use of the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE, CAS 79–01–6) under the nation’s Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). This comes after a proposed rulemaking for the solvents perchloroethylene (Perc) and methylene chloride earlier this year (SafeGuardS 76/23 and SG 56/23).
TCE is widely used as a solvent in a variety of industrial, commercial and consumer applications, including hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) production, vapor and aerosol degreasing, and in lubricants, greases, adhesives, and sealants. The EPA has determined significant adverse health effects associated with the use of TCE and seeks to address the concern through amending 40 CFR 751 ‘Regulation of certain chemical substances and mixtures’, under section 6 of TSCA.
If adopted as proposed, the rule would prohibit most of the chemical’s uses in manufacturing, import, processing and distribution in commerce within a one-year staggered timeline. For certain other uses, the EPA would be granting longer phase-out periods. For example, an 8.5-year gradual phase out for TCE activities in the production of HFCs or a 10-year phase-out period for the chemical’s aerosol and vapor degreasing uses. For all uses that are allowed to continue for more than one year after the publication of the final rule, a workplace chemical protection program (WCPP) would be required until the respective prohibition compliance dates are reached.
Comments on the proposal are being accepted until December 15, 2023.
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