(5MinNewsBreak.com) – In a seeming victory for public health defenders, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) has made the decision to ban two hazardous solvents marks a significant, albeit overdue, step forward in chemical safety regulation.
These solvents, TCE and Perc, historically used in products like dry cleaning, have long posed serious health risks.
The EPA’s ban targets trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (Perc), chemicals notorious for their links to severe health conditions such as cancer.
TCE, in particular, is associated with liver cancer, kidney cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, along with nervous and immune system damage, reports Local3 News.
Perc, on the other hand, poses a significant risk with links to liver, kidney, brain, and testicular cancers.
The new regulations prohibit consumer uses of these chemicals, with some industrial applications allowed under strict conditions.
Safer alternatives for these deadly solvents are available and should have replaced them years ago.
“It’s simply unacceptable to continue to allow cancer-causing chemicals to be used for things like glue, dry cleaning, or stain removers when safer alternatives exist,” said Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator for the office of chemical safety and pollution prevention at the EPA.
The EPA calls for a one-year phaseout of most TCE uses, with select workplace applications phased out gradually, ensuring worker protections.
For Perc, a decade-long phaseout for dry cleaning use is planned, with a ban on new dry-cleaning machinery using Perc effective immediately.
The EPA emphasizes that these bans rest on solid scientific evidence showing TCE and Perc’s harmful impacts.
These toxins have historically been found in drinking water supplies, notably contaminating areas like Camp Lejeune.
The Biden administration asserts this move is part of broader updates to the nation’s toxics law.
Highlighted in popular media, TCE and Perc’s lasting contamination effects have sparked public outrage, pushing the necessity for these bold actions.
While many cheer the decision as a triumph for public health, skeptics question if ongoing government oversight will ensure such measures are fully enforced.
True safety against these hazardous chemicals can only be achieved if there is genuine accountability to uphold these regulations.
At long last. Toxic exposure risks this serious should not take decades to eliminate, but EPA finally did the right thing. EPA bans two cancer-causing chemicals used in everyday products https://t.co/7EX04pRdJc
— Ken Cook (@EWGPrez) December 9, 2024
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