TBT BSN | Notification

Notification Detail :: G/TBT/N/USA/2008

Notification No.

Notification Type

Notifying Member

Date of Notification

Final Date for Comments

Days to Final Date

Title

Perchloroethylene (PCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances 
Control Act (TSCA)

Objective

Protection of human health or safety (TBT); Quality requirements (TBT)

Product Covered

Perchloroethylene (PCE); Quality (ICS code(s): 03.120); Environmental protection (ICS code(s): 13.020); Occupational safety. Industrial hygiene (ICS code(s): 13.100); Domestic safety (ICS code(s): 13.120); Production in the chemical industry (ICS code(s): 71.020); Products of the chemical industry (ICS code(s): 71.100)

Document Notification

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HSCODE

ICSCODE

03.120 - Quality; 13.020 - Environmental protection; 13.100 - Occupational safety. Industrial hygiene; 13.120 - Domestic safety; 71.020 - Production in the chemical industry; 71.100 - Products of the chemical industry

Keywords

Human health

Specific Regions

Description

Proposed rule - The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to address the unreasonable risk of injury to human health presented by perchloroethylene (PCE) under its conditions of use as documented in EPA's December 2020 Risk Evaluation for PCE and December 2022 revised risk determination for PCE prepared under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PCE is a widely used solvent in a variety of occupational and consumer applications including fluorinated compound production, petroleum manufacturing, dry cleaning, and aerosol degreasing. EPA determined that PCE presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health due to the significant adverse health effects associated with exposure to PCE, including neurotoxicity effects from acute and chronic inhalation exposures and dermal exposures, and cancer from chronic inhalation exposures to PCE. TSCA requires that EPA address by rule any unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment identified in a TSCA risk evaluation and apply requirements to the extent necessary so the chemical no longer presents unreasonable risk. PCE, also known as perc and tetrachloroethylene, is a neurotoxicant and a likely human carcinogen. Neurotoxicity, in particular impaired visual and cognitive function and diminished color discrimination, are the most sensitive adverse effects driving the unreasonable risk of PCE, and other adverse effects associated with exposure include central nervous system depression, kidney and liver effects, immune system toxicity, developmental toxicity, and cancer. To address the identified unreasonable risk, EPA is proposing to prohibit most industrial and commercial uses of PCE; the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of PCE for the prohibited industrial and commercial uses; the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of PCE for all consumer use; and, the manufacture (including import), processing, distribution in commerce, and use of PCE in dry cleaning and related spot cleaning through a 10-year phaseout. For certain conditions of use that would not be subject to a prohibition, EPA is also proposing to require a PCE workplace chemical protection program that includes requirements to meet an inhalation exposure concentration limit and prevent direct dermal contact. EPA is also proposing to require prescriptive workplace controls for laboratory use, and to establish recordkeeping and downstream notification requirements. Additionally, EPA proposes to provide certain time-limited exemptions from requirements for certain critical or essential emergency uses of PCE for which no technically and economically feasible safer alternative is available.

Notified Document

1:File here

Link to Notification

EN:File here

FR:File here

ES:File here

Status Active

No	#	Comment By	Title	Comment Date	File

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Notification Detail :: G/TBT/N/USA/2008

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