The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced a delay in the implementation of its rule banning two chemicals used in manufacturing and commercial processes in accordance with the president’s executive order “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review.”
According to a notice in the Federal Register, the EPA’s new implementation date for the ban on trichloroethylene (TCE) and phased-in ban on perchloroethylene (PCE) is March 21. President Donald Trump’s executive order directed agencies not to implement pending or finalized rules not yet in effect until they are reviewed by his new department heads.
Under the Biden administration, the EPA finalized rules Dec. 9, banning TCE, which is used as a solvent in consumer and commercial products such as cleaning products, degreasers, brake cleaners, sealants, lubricants, adhesives, paints and coatings, and in the manufacture of some refrigerants.
PCE, which can biodegrade into TCE, is a solvent used in commercial applications, such as dry cleaning and petroleum manufacturing. The EPA sought to implement a 10-year phase-out of PCE in commercial dry cleaning and banned its use in newly acquired dry cleaning machines after six months.
The EPA had estimated it would cost industry up to $102.4 million over 20 years to implement the TCE changes. For PCE implementation, it could cost up to $43.4 million over 20 years.
The rules finalized in December were originally set to be implemented earlier this month.
