The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a regulation that restricts many uses of methylene chloride, a highly toxic chemical linked with cancer and death in humans when ingested or breathed in. The move follows decades-long calls from activists for such restrictions to keep workers safe, while also marking another instance this year where the Biden administration has banned or restricted dangerous chemicals.
Methylene chloride is commonly used as a solvent in commercial paint strippers and metal degreasers, among other products. Exposure can lead to symptoms such as dizziness, numbness of limbs, unconsciousness, heart attacks, cancer, damage to the nervous system, liver, kidneys, and skin.
Under former President Barack Obama’s administration in 2016, proposed restrictions were suggested for most retail and occupational uses of paint stripping with methylene chloride; however, under Donald Trump’s presidency two years ago, the EPA only banned consumer sales while allowing its use in other products and all work-related purposes. This led to accusations from safety campaigners that some of those deaths had happened during work activities rather than when it was sold directly for DIY reasons – which numbered 85 between 1980 through to last year, according to a study cited by the EPA itself.
The new regulation goes further in restricting methylene chloride use and is more extensive than that proposed under Obama’s administration or implemented during Trump’s presidency. The rule bans its usage as paint strippers for occupational purposes; consumer uses will be phased out within a year, while most industrial and commercial applications are banned in two years.
The EPA also announced the introduction of what it called “a first-of-its kind strong worker chemical protection program” to safeguard workers who still need access to methylene chloride for critical military or federal uses as well as refrigerant manufacturing, electric vehicle battery production and other applications where alternatives are not yet available.
In a news conference, Michal Ilana Freedhoff – the assistant administrator of the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention at EPA – explained that when methylene chloride is still used in workplaces or manufacturing facilities after 2023, there will be an assessment to determine how it’s being employed. Companies are encouraged to find alternatives for substitution while employing engineering controls intended as limitations against further utilisation. In addition, they must monitor worker exposure and provide personal protective equipment (PPE) alongside training on the chemical’s risks.
The new regulation has been welcomed by some labor union representatives: Dave McCall of United Steelworkers declared that it is a long-overdue step in safeguarding workers from hazardous substances, while Sarah Vogel – senior vice president for Healthy Communities at Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) – expressed her satisfaction with the EPA’s move but also added that there are still areas requiring further improvement.
Kevin Hartley’s mother Wendy has been advocating for a ban since his death in 2017, when he was working to refinish bathtub fittings at age 21. The news conference organised by EPA about this recent methylene chloride rule was very touching, causing Hartley’s daughter Erinn Hindele-Niepiel to weep while watching the event from her home in Illinois as she spoke with CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent Dr Sanjay Gupta.
Can you provide more information on how methylene chloride is used in electric vehicle battery production? And are there any alternative chemicals that can be used instead of this dangerous substance?
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