Alerts10.31.23
EPA Proposes to Ban All Uses of TCE; Comments Due December 15
Highlights
• The Biden administration’s proposed ban on all uses of TCE goes far beyond the Obama administration’s proposal to ban some uses that was delayed and subsequently withdrawn by the Trump administration
• Phase-outs and exemptions are one year for most commercial and all consumer uses, up to 10 years for uses deemed “critical or essential” to national security, the economy, or infrastructure, and 50-years for essential lab activities and contaminated-site cleanups
• The longstanding controversy over TCE regulation foreshadows a robust wave of comments and intense lobbying over the proposed ban
• Phase-outs and exemptions are one year for most commercial and all consumer uses, up to 10 years for uses deemed “critical or essential” to national security, the economy, or infrastructure, and 50-years for essential lab activities and contaminated-site cleanups
• The longstanding controversy over TCE regulation foreshadows a robust wave of comments and intense lobbying over the proposed ban
Trichloroethylene (TCE) is widely used as a solvent in a variety of industrial, commercial and consumer applications including in lubricants, greases, adhesives, and sealants and for hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) production and vapor and aerosol degreasing. In addition, it is estimated to be present at more than 1,050 Superfund sites.
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