EPA issued it’s first completed “work plan” chemical risk assessment on trichloroethylene (TCE) June 25, 2014. It focuses on consumer and commercial use of TCE as a degreaser, spot remover and spray-on protective coating component deemed of highest, uncontrolled exposures. Industrial uses were not considered to present significant exposures, as they
are regulated under OSHA workplace practices. The agency is holding a workshop July 29-30 to talk about available substitutes as the primary way to reduce risk.
Naturally, there are quibbles about what the agency did, but its report is pretty comprehensive and, in my view, appropriately honed in on significant exposure uses. Of course, EPA Assistant Administrator Jim Jones whined about lack of authority under TSCA to really do a
good job, but the review they did is thorough and the risk management
responses are reasonable. I suppose he'd prefer being able to issue a unilateral order to ban TCE without having to write up any rationale. What they are doing looks practical and effective.
See EPA's web info here.
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- TCE
- TSCA
- tsca work plans