Fourteen AGs Sent Comments Supporting Better Protections from Trichloroethylene (TCE)

DECEMBER 15, 2023

New York Attorney General Letitia James led a coalition of 14 attorneys general in submitting comments on the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposal to strengthen regulations of trichloroethylene (TCE) after EPA issued a risk determination under the Toxic Substances Control Act finding that TCE poses an unreasonable risk of injury to human health. TCE is a synthetic chemical that is frequently used as a solvent. The proposed rule would prohibit “the manufacture, processing, and distribution in commerce of TCE; the industrial and commercial use of TCE for all uses; and the disposal of TCE to industrial pre-treatment, industrial treatment, or publicly owned treatment works.” In the comments, the AGs explained the severe health risks associated with TCE, pointing to specific instances of harm in New York, Arizona, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, and Washington. The AGs urged EPA to require protection for workers who will continue to be exposed to TCE as it is being phased out, and called on the agency to provide additional protection for fenceline communities.