EPA Finalizes Rules To Ban Chemical Solvents TCE And PCE

On December 9, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized its risk management rules for trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) under the 2016 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) amendments. The chemicals, used in cleaners, lubricants, sealants, adhesives, paints, and other commercial applications, are believed to cause cancer, affect reproductive systems, and compromise immune systems. According to the EPA, safer alternatives are readily available for the majority of uses.

The new EPA rules will completely ban TCE over time, with the "vast majority of identified risks eliminated within one year." Meanwhile, 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."