EPA Proposes Near-Total 1-BP Ban

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ("EPA" or "the Agency") has announced that it is proposing to ban the solvent 1-bromopropoane ("1-BP") under the Toxic Substances Control Act ("TSCA") in all but one consumer product, as well as across every commercial and industrial use of the chemical. The Agency announced the proposal on July 31 on the EPA's TSCA website and in the Federal Register on August 8. The Agency also proposes workplace exposure limits and a protective gear requirement for uses that are allowed to continue.

Finding that 1-BP poses an unreasonable risk to human health and that there are safer alternatives available, the proposal bans all uses of 1-BP in consumer products, including spot cleaners, aerosol spray degreasers, stain removers, and automotive care products. However, the Agency is exempting building insulation from the ban as the underlying risk evaluation found that this use does not pose an unreasonable risk to human health.