Draft Regulation: U.S. EPA proposed Perchloroethylene (PCE) Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to address the unreasonable risk of human health harm produced by perchloroethylene (PCE) under its current conditions of use. PCE is an extensively used solvent in a variety of applications, including the synthesis of fluorinated compounds, petroleum manufacturing, dry cleaning, and aerosol degreasing. According to the EPA, PCE poses an unreasonable risk of damage due to undesirable health effects such as neurotoxicity, cancer, and central nervous system depression. To mitigate this risk, the EPA proposes a 10-year phaseout of most industrial and commercial applications of PCE, as well as the manufacturing of PCE for consumer use and the manufacture of PCE in dry cleaning and related spot cleaning. The EPA is proposing a workplace chemical protection program for specific circumstances of use, including regulations to fulfil inhalation exposure concentration limits and avoid direct skin contact.

Prescriptive workplace rules for laboratory usage and recordkeeping are also recommended, as are downstream notification requirements. Time-limited exclusions are also suggested for vital or necessary emergency applications of PCE when no safer alternative is physically or economically possible.