TSCA Updates: TCE, PCE, CTC, and More
US EPA recently took action to postpone or extend compliance deadlines for facilities that use certain hazardous chemicals subject to Workplace Chemical Protection Programs (WCPPs) under the Toxic Substances Control Act or TSCA—trichloroethylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE), and carbon tetrachloride (CTC).
The agency also proposed extending the deadline for reporting health and safety data about 16 specific chemical substances covered by a December 2024 Final Rule, including benzene, ethylbenzene, hydrogen fluoride, styrene, and vinyl chloride.
Trichloroethylene: Non-prohibited Uses Under TSCA §6(g)
On February 18, 2026, EPA further postponed (for 90 days) the effective date of certain regulatory provisions applicable to non-prohibited uses of the chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) under TSCA section 6(g). The deadline to comply with conditions imposed on each of the exemptions is now May 18, 2026.
Perchloroethylene (PCE) and Carbon Tetrachloride (CTC): Proposed Extension
On March 27, US EPA proposed extending the compliance dates for certain workplaces that use perchloroethylene (PCE) or carbon tetrachloride (CTC) to comply with chemical protection requirements imposed under the Toxic Substances Control Act or TSCA.
The proposed rule amends compliance dates in EPA’s December 2024 Final Rules to establish workplace chemical protection programs (WCPPs) for PCE and CTC.
The rule extends certain compliance dates for non-federal owners and operators to comply with requirements for PCE and CTC, including:
- Initial monitoring for inhalation exposure—to June 21, 2027 (Proposed)
- Meeting the existing chemical exposure limit (ECEL), establishing a “regulated area,” providing respiratory protection, and establishing a respiratory PPE program—to September 20, 2027 (Proposed)
- Establish/implement an exposure control plan—to December 20, 2027 (Proposed)
The proposed rule does not extend the compliance dates for implementing dermal protection for PCE or CTC.
EPA describes the proposed rule this way:
“This proposal would extend some Workplace Chemical Protection Program compliance dates for non-federal entities that use PCE and CTC to match compliance dates for federal agencies and their contractors… This action does not impact or diminish any current worker protections that are already in place for these chemicals.”
91 FR 59. March 27, 2026. “PCE and CTC: Regulation Under TSCA.”
Reporting Health and Safety Data for 16 Chemicals
On March 30, 2026, EPA proposed to extend the deadline for chemical manufacturers to submit health and safety data about 16 specific chemical substances covered by a December 2024 Final Rule for one year, until May 21, 2027.
The 2024 Final Rule requires manufacturers (including importers) of 16 chemicals to submit “copies and lists of certain unpublished health and safety studies” to EPA. The list of substances for which reporting is required includes benzene, ethylbenzene, hydrogen fluoride, styrene, and vinyl chloride.
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