On December 9, 2020, EPN sent a letter to EPA Administrator Wheeler reiterating its concerns about the agency’s final risk evaluation of trichloroethylene (TCE)—a highly toxic substance used primarily to make refrigerants and other hydrofluorocarbons, as a degreasing solvent for metal equipment, and in dry cleaning—conducted under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). EPN raised several issues from an earlier letter sent on March 12, 2020, calling for a ban of most uses of TCE due to serious health risks demonstrated in EPA’s proposed rulemaking and draft risk evaluation. EPN once again urged EPA to take immediate regulatory action to mitigate unreasonable health risks from exposure to TCE, as well as utilize the most sensitive endpoint in its risk evaluation to set standards that will adequately protect human health.
Read the letter to Administrator Wheeler.
On December 15, 2020, EPN member Gary Timm, former Chief, Chemical Testing Branch, EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, presented testimony at an EPA public webinar on the need for immediate regulation of TCE and use of the most sensitive endpoint for risk management of the chemical if EPA does not initiate a ban.
Read the testimony.