As the Biden Administration comes to a close, the US
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned two commonly used
chemicals under the 2016 Lautenberg Amendments to the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA).
On December 9, EPA finalized risk management rules for two
solvents under TSCA on the grounds that they were carcinogenic. Trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE), the chemicals
targeted by the rules, are used in cleaners, lubricants, sealants,
adhesives, and paints throughout a variety of commercial
applications. Both chemicals are known to cause a variety of
cancers and damage in both the immune and reproductive systems.
The rules constitute a total ban on TCE over time, with the
"vast majority of identified risks eliminated within one
year," while PCE is banned for "all consumer uses and
many commercial uses, while allowing some workplace uses to
continue only where robust workplace controls can be
implemented," as EPA stated in its press
