Today, under the newly reformed Toxics Substance Control Act (TSCA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed banning certain uses of the toxic chemical trichloroethylene (TCE) due to health risks when used as a vapor degreaser. In response, Liz Hitchcock, Legislative Director of Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, issued the following statement:
“Today’s announcement is another important milestone for public health. EPA is proposing to prohibit industrial use of known toxic chemical TCE for vapor degreasing and is also proposing to require manufacturers, processors, and distributors to notify others in their supply chains of the prohibitions.
“Along with EPA’s December announcement of a ban on several consumer uses of TCE, this is the kind of common sense action to protect public health that is 40 years overdue, and it is only possible because of the recent reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA.)”
For more information on trichloroethylene, including its risks and uses, please see our page on TCE.