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EPA bans cancer-linked chemical used in dry cleaning after decades of harm
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The following information is from Children’s Health Defense.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a ban on trichloroethylene (TCE), a highly toxic chemical used in dry cleaning, glue, and stain removers. The agency called this decision a “major milestone for chemical safety,” addressing decades of inadequate protections and delays.
TCE is a known human carcinogen linked to birth defects, liver and kidney disease, and a rise in global Parkinson’s disease diagnoses. It also contaminates the drinking water of an estimated 19 million Americans, posing the greatest risks to pregnant women, infants, and children.
The new rule bans the manufacture and processing of TCE for most products within a year. However, industries such as aviation and medical devices will have longer timelines to phase out the chemical, citing national security and critical infrastructure concerns. The EPA will also enforce new workplace exposure limits during the phaseout, which it estimates will reduce workplace exposure by 97%.
The ban also applies to perchloroethylene (PCE), another chemical with similar uses that can break down into TCE. PCE has been linked to cancer and organ damage, with its phaseout scheduled to take place over a longer timeframe.
High-profile contamination cases have highlighted the dangers of TCE and PCE. In Water Valley, Mississippi, a company is accused of illegally dumping TCE waste for over 50 years, contaminating the community’s soil, air, and groundwater. At Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, decades of water contamination with TCE and PCE exposed over a million service members and their families to increased risks of cancer and other illnesses.
The EPA’s actions mark progress in addressing the dangers of TCE and PCE, though some uses will remain permitted under workplace controls.
For more information, read the full article here.
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