EPA Announces Final Ban on TCE and PCE to Protect Public Health

January 21, 2025

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken a significant step towards safeguarding public health by announcing the final rules to ban trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE). These regulations, effective from December 9, 2024, aim to mitigate the hazardous impact of these chemicals, which are linked to various severe health conditions.

Understanding the Dangers of TCE and PCE

Health Risks Associated with TCE

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is recognized as an extremely toxic chemical. It is known to cause liver cancer, kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, central nervous system damage, kidney and liver damage, immune system harm, reproductive organ damage, and fetal heart defects. TCE is predominantly used as a solvent in various consumer and commercial products, including cleaning products, furniture care items, degreasers, brake cleaners, sealants, lubricants, adhesives, paints, coatings, and arts and crafts spray coatings. Additionally, it is used in refrigerant manufacturing. The EPA highlights that safer alternatives are available for most of these uses.

Given the breadth of products that utilize TCE, its widespread presence means substantial potential exposure risks to consumers and workers. The repercussions of continued TCE usage are numerous and alarming, from cancer to multi-organ damage. By flagging TCE’s extensive toxicity profile and proposing safer alternatives, the EPA underscores its commitment to striking a balance between industrial necessities and public health concerns. The introduction of these rules is a crucial step towards a healthier environment, limiting prolonged exposure to such harmful chemicals, which have far-reaching effects on human health.

Health Risks Associated with PCE

Perchloroethylene (PCE), another highly toxic chemical, is associated with liver, kidney, brain, and testicular cancer. It also causes damage to the kidney, liver, immune system, neurotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity. Presently, PCE is utilized in brake cleaners, adhesives, and several commercial applications, including dry cleaning. The EPA’s final risk management rule entails a meticulous phase-out process to reduce risks to individuals frequently exposed at dry cleaning facilities and other settings.

With the ubiquitous presence of PCE in dry cleaning and other industrial applications, risks extend not only to workers but also to the general public exposed to PCE residues. The multiple health risks associated with PCE reiterate the urgency for regulatory measures to restrict and eventually eliminate its usage. Acknowledging these critical health concerns, the EPA’s detailed risk management strategy demonstrates a deliberate approach to phasing out such hazardous chemicals while ensuring industries transition smoothly to safer alternatives. This phased remediation reflects a methodical and informed strategy to protect more populations from the chronic health impacts of PCE exposure.

Implementation of the TCE Ban

Phased Timeline for TCE Ban

Under the newly announced rule, all usages of TCE are to be banned over a phased timeline, with the majority of identified risks being eliminated within one year. For TCE uses requiring a longer phase-out period, certain worker safety requirements must be met, including the implementation of a Workplace Chemical Protection Plan that enforces an inhalation exposure limit for airborne TCE. The EPA emphasizes that the new limit aims to balance practicality with risk reduction, estimating a 97% reduction in long-term workplace exposure.

The phased approach ensures a staggered yet steady elimination of TCE, providing industries time to adapt. This strategy underscores the importance of measured transitions to mitigate immediate economic disruptions while prioritizing health. The insistence on a Workplace Chemical Protection Plan indicates the EPA’s proactive stance in centering worker safety during this phase-out. No longer will workplaces balance between operational needs and health compromises, as the plan establishes air quality benchmarks that significantly reduce exposure, thereby protecting worker health more effectively than ever before.

Specific Industrial Applications and Exceptions

Many prolonged TCE uses occur in industrial settings where stringent worker protections can be adopted. These include cleaning parts for aircraft and medical devices, manufacturing battery separators and refrigerants, and other transportation, security, and defense systems. Uses in refrigerant manufacturing are particularly supported by longer timelines to align with efforts to phase down hydrofluorocarbons under the bipartisan American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act. The ultimate goal is to prohibit all TCE uses, but certain exceptions are in place to prevent disruption to national security or critical infrastructure.

Additionally, to facilitate the cleanup of past TCE contamination sites, such as Superfund sites, essential laboratory use and proper disposal of TCE wastewater are permitted for 50 years with required worker protections in place. This dual approach—balancing stringent bans with critical use exceptions—illustrates the EPA’s nuanced understanding of industry needs. The regulation has provisions to ensure that crucial sectors, like national security, remain functional while still progressing toward an ultimate phase-out. This balanced legislative framework ensures robust health protections while maintaining industrial stability and efficiency.

Implementation of the PCE Ban

Phase-Out Process for PCE

The EPA’s final risk management rule entails a 10-year phase-out for PCE in dry cleaning to reduce risks to individuals frequently exposed at dry cleaning facilities. The use of PCE in newly acquired machines will be banned within six months, and compliance timelines for existing machines will vary based on their type, with older machines phased out sooner. The rule mandates a rapid phasedown of the manufacture, processing, and distribution of PCE for consumer use and many industrial and commercial applications, with the majority being phased out within three years.

This timeline-based approach provides clarity and predictability for affected industries, allowing businesses to plan their transition to PCE-free operations systematically. The extended timeline for certain equipment ensures a smoother adjustment, reducing economic shocks or operational interruptions. By setting clear deadlines for new and existing machines, the EPA creates a structured yet flexible framework to phase out hazardous substances methodically. This balance of swift and extended timelines ensures that public health measures proceed without sacrificing operational effectiveness in vulnerable sectors.

Continued Uses Under Strict Regulations

Certain PCE uses will continue under strict regulations. These include energized electrical cleaning, laboratory asphalt testing and recovery, manufacturing refrigerants and other chemicals, vapor degreasing, petrochemical manufacturing, agricultural chemical manufacturing, cold cleaning of tanker vessels, chemical milling masks, adhesives and sealants, and importing, recycling, and processing of PCE. These specific applications will persist under stringent workplace controls to ensure safety.

The detailed exceptions granted under tight regulations illustrate that the ban’s intent is not only comprehensive but also adaptable to real-world applications where immediate transitions are not feasible. These controlled uses will operate under stringent guidelines, reinforcing safety and vigilance through regulated exposure limits. This structured regulation plan ensures that even as certain uses subsist, they do so within a safety-first paradigm established by the EPA. This logic assures industries that while bans are enforced, flexibility exists for essential applications, promoting continued industrial efficacy within a framework of public health protection.

EPA’s Commitment to Public Health and Environmental Safety

Promoting Safer Alternatives

The trends and consensus viewpoint encapsulated in these new stringent rules highlight a significant shift towards the elimination of highly toxic chemicals from widespread use in consumer and commercial products. This transition affirms the EPA’s commitment to public health and environmental safety, promoting the adoption of safer alternatives while considering realistic implementation timelines for industries.

By advocating for safer alternatives, the EPA simultaneously drives innovation and health safeguards. The push towards non-toxic solutions not only mitigates immediate hazards but also fosters industrial practices that align with the progressive standards of environmental and public health welfare. The advocacy for safer substitutes simultaneously raises the operational bar while ensuring public and worker safety remains paramount. Through structured incentives and guidelines, the push for healthier market practices is as much a public health initiative as it is an industrial standard reform.

Comprehensive Ban Strategy

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has made a major move to protect public health by announcing the final rules to ban trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE). These new regulations will come into effect on December 9, 2024. TCE and PCE are industrial solvents commonly used in manufacturing and dry cleaning processes. However, they are also linked to a range of serious health conditions, including cancer, liver damage, and reproductive issues. This ban aims to significantly reduce the hazardous exposure to these chemicals and protect the public from their adverse effects.

The announcement marks a pivotal moment for environmental and public health advocates who have long pushed for stricter controls on industrial chemicals. With the implementation of these rules, the EPA aims to mitigate the detrimental impact of TCE and PCE not only on individuals but also on the broader ecosystem. By enforcing these regulations, the agency hopes to create a safer environment, lessening the burden of chemical pollutants and promoting overall well-being. This action underscores the EPA’s commitment to prioritizing human health and environmental safety.

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