EPA Proposes to Ban TCE for Certain Uses Under TSCA

US EPA has proposed a rule to “prohibit the manufacture, processing, and distribution in commerce of Trichloroethylene (TCE)” for certain uses. The proposed TCE ban is EPA’s first such action under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) as revised by the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21^st Century Act.

The specific restrictions proposed apply to commercial use of TCE for aerosol degreasing and spot cleaning in dry-cleaning facilities. This would also require manufacturers, processors, and distributors of TCE to notify customers of the prohibitions against certain uses. The proposed rule also includes TSCA recordkeeping requirements.

EPA’s list of facilities that this proposed rule may impact is extensive and includes industries like textile mills, petroleum refineries, petrochemical and organic chemical manufacturing, plastics product manufacturing, rubber and cement manufacturing, electroplating, primary battery manufacturing, and many more.

A pre-publication version of the proposed rule is available here.

What Is TSCA?

Under TSCA, EPA is required to evaluate chemicals for possible risks to human health and the environment. When risks are present, EPA can create regulations that restrict the manufacture, processing, distribution, and use of these chemicals. 

Recently, EPA began work to perform risk evaluations on the first 10 chemicals identified as a priority in the Agency’s TSCA Work Plan.

To get up to speed on changes to TSCA under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21^st Century Act, which became law this year, read TSCA Reform Passes Senate, Awaits POTUS Signature.  

TSCA Regulations Online Course

Be confident you know how to keep your site in compliance with the many TSCA management, recordkeeping, and reporting programs that affect you. Any business that manufactures, processes, distributes, or uses regulated chemical substances must comply with TSCA. Interactive and available 24/7, the TSCA Regulations Online Course is designed to help you maintain compliance with EPA’s primary chemical law.

Get up to speed with new and changing TSCA rules and get help meeting your EPA reporting requirements—from “Form U” Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) and to SNURs, PMNs, PAIR reporting, import and export notifications and certifications, and much more. 

Tags: chemicals, EPA, new rules, TSCA