The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Biden administration is proposing a ban on the use of methylene chloride, a toxic chemical found in paint strippers that has been linked to dozens of accidental deaths. This is part of the EPA's efforts to strengthen the country's chemical-safety rules.
The proposed ban would apply to all consumer use and most industrial and commercial uses of the chemical, except for its limited use in industrial manufacturing and processing. Methylene chloride is a solvent used to refinish bathtubs and other surfaces, make pharmaceuticals, and refrigerants. Short-term exposure to this chemical can cause dizziness, headaches, harm to the central nervous system, and long-term exposure can be toxic to the liver and cause cancer. The EPA says it is especially risky to home renovators, even trained workers in protective gear.
In 2019, the last rule on methylene chloride approved under the Trump administration had only banned its consumer paint remover uses and provided wide exceptions elsewhere. The Biden administration's new proposal would give leniency for methylene chloride’s continued use by the Defense Department and makers of climate-friendly coolants.
The EPA's proposal would apply strict exposure limits to the limited use of methylene chloride by the Defense Department, NASA, and the Federal Aviation Administration, with strict controls. The government agencies and companies provided data that gave the EPA confidence that they can protect workers, according to Michal Freedhoff, head of the EPA’s chemical safety and pollution prevention.
Despite its risks, the chemical's use has continued because of its popularity with the military and its use in newer coolants developed to replace some types of hydrofluorocarbons, one of the most potent contributors to climate change. Lobbyists and agency officials have said to expect four to seven more proposals this year, including a potentially completed rule banning one of the last actively used forms of asbestos.
The EPA has been under pressure to issue new rules like this under Congress’s 2016 overhaul of the Toxic Substances Control Act. Safety advocates are lauding the EPA for making progress but are also saying that the agency should do more. The environmental law firm Earthjustice, which helped lead a lawsuit over the Trump administration's rules, said it will push the agency to produce a final rule with narrower exemptions and work to make them as short-lived as possible.
Since 1980, at least 85 people have died from acute exposure to methylene chloride, with most of them being workers in home renovation. The solvent was among the first ten chemicals designated for evaluation under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act of 2016.
The proposed ban of methylene chloride follows the Biden administration's emphasis on environmental protection, including climate change, and its commitment to addressing environmental justice. It is expected to be a significant move in protecting the public from toxic chemicals and reducing the risk of accidental deaths related to their use.
years to make decision again, substitutes, how much is toxic, effect on manufacturers, PPE
References:
Bell-Young, L. (2022, June 7). What is methylene chloride used for? - the chemistry blog. ReAgent Chemical Services. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.chemicals.co.uk/blog/what-is-methylene-chloride-used-for
Environmental Protection Agency. (2022, October 22). Fact Sheet: Methylene Chloride or Dichloromethane (DCM). EPA. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/fact-sheet-methylene-chloride-or-dichloromethane-dcm-0
Puko, T. (2023, April 20). EPA proposes to ban most uses of methylene chloride, a toxic solvent. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 23, 2023, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2023/04/20/epa-rule-toxic-methylene-chloride/
The title is good. It appropriately indicates the methylene chloride ban to be part of a continuing safety evaluation of commonly used industrial chemicals. Your lede paragraph commendably puts a lot of information in relative few words. Your explanation of the uses and dangers of methylene chloride is balanced and accurate. You give us specifics on who would suffer from the ban as well as the dangers to users. You give us a good history of the back and forth attempts at regulation and the place of this effort in the context of attempts to respond the legislation requiring review and regulation of more chemicals. The graphic is effective. Most readers are at best chemical novices, but the combination of the two representations let anyone appreciate the elements in the molecule, its structure and its simplicity. Your piece suggests that the Washington Post article gives a realistic picture of chemistry depicting benefits, problems and the compromises made by chemists and the chemical industry. The Washington Post is a very influential, widely read source. Overall a very good, timely and effective post.
ReplyDelete