EPA’s TCE Requirements Postponed Again

The effective date for certain provisions of EPA’s risk management rule for the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE) has been postponed for the third time, the agency announced last week. EPA’s action concerns the Toxic Substances Control Act section 6(g) exemptions in the rule, which will be delayed for an additional 90 days, until Nov. 17, 2025.

Under the final rule, most uses of TCE, including its manufacture and processing for all consumer and most commercial products, will be prohibited within one year. But the TSCA section 6(g) exemptions permit several industrial uses to continue for longer periods under certain restrictions, including a workplace chemical protection program and controls intended to limit occupational exposure to TCE.

The workplace conditions required by the TSCA section 6(g) exemptions for TCE are the subject of ongoing legal challenges to the rule. While litigation is pending, EPA’s latest postponement is intended to “temporarily preserve the status quo,” according to an Aug. 20 Federal Register notice.

“This [postponement] will ensure that the timing of EPA’s administrative stay aligns with the court's timeframe for this action,” the agency explains.

For more information, see EPA’s update on the status of the TCE risk management rule. A new notice in the Federal Register provides additional context for the EPA’s actions. Learn more about risk management for TCE on the agency’s website.