US EPA has determined that the use of Trichloroethylene (TCE) in vapor degreasing presents an unreasonable health risk. Accordingly, EPA has proposed under TSCA section 6 to prohibit the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE for use in vapor degreasing; to prohibit commercial use of TCE in vapor degreasing; and to require manufacturers, processors, and distributors, except for retailers, to provide downstream notification of this prohibition throughout the supply chain (e.g., via a Safety Data Sheet (SDS)), and to keep records. A related proposed rule on TCE aerosol degreasing and spot cleaning in dry cleaning facilities was published in the Federal Register on December 16, 2016; EPA intends to finalize both actions together.
Under TSCA section 6(a), if EPA determines after risk evaluation that a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment, EPA must by rule apply one or more requirements to the extent necessary so that the chemical substance or mixture no longer presents such risk.