Archives

April 15, 2025

EPA Postpones Effective Date of Certain Provisions of TCE Risk Management Rule to June 20, 2025

On April 2, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it is postponing the effectiveness of certain provisions of its December 17, 2024, final risk management rule for trichloroethylene (TCE) until June 20, 2025. 90 Fed. Reg. 14415. After EPA issued the final rule in December 2024, it received multiple petitions for an administrative stay of the effective date. EPA denied the requests, and the companies submitted renewed petitions to stay the effective...
March 24, 2025

EPA Provides Update on Status of TSCA Risk Management Rule for TCE

On March 24, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) provided an update on the effective date of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) final risk management rule for trichloroethylene (TCE). As reported in our January 13, 2025, memorandum, on December 17, 2024, EPA issued a final rule prohibiting all uses of TCE, most of which would be prohibited within one year, including TCE manufacture and processing for most commercial and all consumer products. As...
January 30, 2025

EPA Delays Effective Date of TCE Risk Management Rule

On January 28, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Act (EPA) issued a final rule delaying the effective date of four rules, including the December 17, 2024, final risk management rule for trichloroethylene (TCE) issued under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), until March 21, 2025. 90 Fed. Reg. 8254. EPA states that it is delaying the effective dates of the rules in response to President Trump’s January 20, 2025, memorandum entitled “Regulatory...
January 13, 2025

EPA Issues Final Risk Management Rules for Trichloroethylene, Perchloroethylene, and Carbon Tetrachloride

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released final risk management rules under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) on December 9, 2024, and for carbon tetrachloride (CTC) on December 11, 2024. EPA states that all uses of TCE will be banned over time, with “the vast majority of identified risks eliminated within one year,” and safer alternatives readily available for the majority of uses. The PCE rule will ban...
November 17, 2023

Lynn L. Bergeson, “EPA Proposes Ban on Trichloroethylene,” Chemical Processing, November 17, 2023.

Unsurprisingly, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on Oct. 31, to ban all uses of trichloroethylene (TCE) after determining it presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health under conditions of use pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). TCE is widely used in cleaning and furniture-care products, degreasers, brake cleaners and tire repair sealants. Alternatives are available for many uses. The proposed rule would ban TCE’s manufacture, processing...
November 3, 2023

EPA Proposes to Ban TCE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed on October 31, 2023, to ban all uses of  trichloroethylene (TCE) after determining that it presents an unreasonable risk of injury to human health under its conditions of use as documented in EPA’s November 2020 risk evaluation (2020 TCE RE) and January 2023 revised risk determination (2023 Revised RD) pursuant to the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 88 Fed. Reg. 74712. According to EPA’s October 23, 2023, press...
October 30, 2023

EPA Will Hold Webinar on Proposal to Ban TCE

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a webinar on November 14, 2023, on its proposal to ban trichloroethylene (TCE). In October 2023, EPA released its proposed risk management rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for TCE. The rule would ban the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE for all uses. If issued in final, most uses of TCE would be prohibited within one year, including TCE manufactured...
December 11, 2022

EPA Seeks Participants for Small Business Review Panel on Carbon Tetrachloride and TCE Risk Management Rulemaking

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on November 30, 2020, that it is inviting small businesses, governments, and not-for-profits to participate as Small Entity Representatives (SER) to provide advice and recommendations to two Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panels.  One Panel will focus on EPA’s development of a proposed rule to address unreasonable risks identified in EPA’s recently completed Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) risk evaluation for...
May 18, 2021

EPA Begins Environmental Justice Consultations on Risk Management Rulemakings for Trichloroethylene and Perchloroethylene

On May 18, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invited environmental justice communities and stakeholders to participate in environmental justice consultations regarding the development of proposed risk management actions under Section 6(a) of the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to address unreasonable risks presented by trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE). EPA will hold two identical consultation webinars, one on June 16, 2021, and the other on July 6,...