EPA Issues Draft Revisions to its Risk Determination for Trichloroethylene (TCE) under the Toxic Substance Control Act

On July 7, 2022, EPA  published a draft revision to its risk determination for trichloroethylene (TCE), superseding the condition of use-specific no unreasonable risk determinations in 2020. TCE is a volatile and organic compound most often used in commercial and industrial processes. Other uses include consumer products such as cleaning supplies, furniture coatings, craft sprays, and brake cleaners.

As a result of recent policy changes, EPA is replacing its condition of use-specific unreasonable risk determinations with a determination of unreasonable risk for TCE as a whole chemical substance driven by certain condition of uses. Also, as part of the revision, EPA is removing the assumption of personal protective equipment use by workers, which means that 52 out of the 54 conditions of use that drive the unreasonable risk determination based only on risks to the environment are now also being proposed to drive unreasonable risk based on health risks to workers.

Comments are due on August 8, 2022.

Read the revised risk determination and submit comments.

Advocacy contact: Send an email to Tabby Zeb at tayyaba.zeb@sba.gov or call 202-798-7405.