EPA bans most uses of toxic solvent tied to dozens of deaths

1 comment

1. The Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday a ban on most uses of [methylene chloride](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/04/20/epa-rule-toxic-methylene-chloride/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2), a toxic solvent used in paint stripping that has been linked to at least 88 accidental deaths since 1980.

   The final rule bolsters the Biden administration’s broader crackdown on an array of chemicals known to cause serious health effects, despite their helpful applications in everyday life. It will restrict all consumer uses of methylene chloride and most industrial and commercial uses, with some exemptions for the military and makers of [climate-friendly coolants](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/10/20/epa-hfcs-super-pollutants-climate/?itid=lk_inline_manual_4) and electric vehicle components.

   Methylene chloride is often used to refinish bathtubs and furniture, and to make pharmaceuticals and refrigerants. Short-term exposure can cause dizziness, headaches and damage to the central nervous system. Long-term exposure is linked to several types of cancer, including those of the brain, breast, liver and lung.

   The EPA has recently unveiled a flurry of other regulations on toxic chemicals. Earlier this month, the agency [moved to force polluters](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/04/19/epa-rule-pfas-hazardous-water-contamination/?itid=lk_inline_manual_8) to clean up two of the most pervasive forms of “[forever chemicals](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/06/15/epa-pfas-forever-chemicals/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2&itid=lk_inline_manual_8),” designating them as hazardous substances under the nation’s Superfund law. The agency also [limited emissions of ethylene oxide](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/04/09/chemical-plant-pollution-epa-cancer/?itid=lk_inline_manual_8), a cancer-causing gas, from roughly 200 chemical plants across the country.

   The Biden administration says it has reinvigorated the EPA’s chemicals office after years of budget cuts, depleted staffing levels and generally weaker proposals under President [Donald Trump](https://www.washingtonpost.com/elections/candidates/donald-trump-2024/?itid=lk_inline_manual_9).

   “With today’s rule, and the ones that will soon follow, the Biden administration is really turning the page on worker chemical safety in this country,” [Michal Freedhoff](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2022/05/31/epa-biden-climate-chemical-safety/?itid=lk_inline_manual_10), assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, said on a call with reporters Monday previewing the announcement.

   “I wish these protections had been in place earlier, because for many families, they’re coming too late,” Freedhoff added.

   The final rule requires companies to rapidly phase down manufacturing, processing and distribution of methylene chloride. Consumer use of the chemical will be phased out within a year, and most industrial and commercial uses will be prohibited within two years.

   Read more here: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/04/30/methylene-chloride-epa-ban/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com](https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2024/04/30/methylene-chloride-epa-ban/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_medium=social&utm_source=reddit.com)