The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is finalizing a rule to address the unreasonable risk of injury to health presented by trichloroethylene (TCE) under its conditions of use. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) requires that EPA address by rule any unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment identified in a TSCA risk evaluation and apply requirements to the extent necessary so that the chemical no longer presents unreasonable risk. EPA’s final rule will, among other things, prevent serious illness associated with uncontrolled exposures to the chemical by preventing consumer access to the chemical, restricting the industrial and commercial use of the chemical while also allowing for a reasonable transition period with interim worker protections in place where an industrial and commercial use of the chemical is being prohibited, and provide time-limited exemptions for critical or essential uses of TCE for which no technically and economically feasible safer alternatives are available. This final rule is effective on January 16, 2025. 89 Federal Register (FR) 102568, December 17, 2024; Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 751 https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-12-17/html/2024-29274.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2024-12-17/pdf/2024-29274.pdf This final rule and the proposed rule notified as G/TBT/N/USA/2062 are identified by Docket Number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0642. The Docket Folder is available on Regulations.gov at https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0642/document and provides access to primary and supporting documents as well as comments received. Documents are also accessible from Regulations.gov by searching the Docket Number.
USA – Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)
