EDF Health

EPA’s TCE Ban: A Vital Step for Public Health

By Maria Doa, PhD, Senior Director, Chemicals Policy / Published: November 17, 2023

We only have until December 15, 2023, to show EPA we support
a full and rapid ban of all uses of TCE.

Take Action: Tell EPA–Ban TCE Now

What Happened?

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has recently taken a significant step in safeguarding public health by proposing new regulations under our nation’s primary chemicals law, the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that would protect people from exposure to trichloroethylene (TCE), a highly toxic chemical that causes serious health risks. The proposed rule would ban the production, import, processing, and distribution in commerce for all uses of TCE.

Yet, despite the known dangers of TCE and the undeniable scientific evidence supporting the need for this action, the chemical industry is trying to undermine this critical regulation by incorrectly claiming the proposed rule is “inconsistent with the science.”

Why It Matters

TCE causes so many different harms at such low levels that, when finalized, this action will bring widespread benefits to countless individuals.

TCE can cause multiple types of cancer – kidney cancer, liver cancer, and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma cancers. In addition, exposure to TCE can cause kidney, liver, and neurological damage, harm the immune system and reproduction, and result in heart defects in developing fetuses.

What is particularly concerning is that some of the harm TCE causes—such as to the immune system and fetal heart development—occurs at extremely low levels that often go unnoticed.

People can be exposed in many ways: from chemical plants producing and releasing TCE into the environment; facilities using it for degreasing parts; and the intrusion of TCE into people’s homes, schools, and workplaces from industrial contamination of soil and groundwater.

“The only inconsistency with the science lies in the chemical industry’s misleading claims.”—Maria Doa, PhD, EDF Senior Director for Chemicals Policy

Our Take

We applaud EPA for taking this long-overdue action.

The extensively peer reviewed science clearly demonstrates the high toxicity of TCE and that exposure to even small amounts of TCE can harm a person in multiple ways. The only inconsistency with the science lies in the chemical industry’s misleading claims.

Once again, the chemical industry is resorting to the same tired playbook—attempting to downplay the dangers of TCE—all in the interest of protecting their profits. There is no valid justification to continue subjecting people to the perils posed by this pernicious chemical.

It is imperative that EPA expeditiously finalize its ban of TCE.

Go Deeper

Read our previous blogs on TCE.

Download a PDF of this blog post  (214KB)

Also posted in Adverse health effects, Chemical exposure, Chemical regulation, Health hazards, Industry influence, Neurotoxicity, Public health, Reproductive toxicity, Rules/Regulations, TSCA / Tagged , , | Authors: / Read 1 Response

Representatives Call For FDA Public Hearing on Phthalates

By Joanna Slaney and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant / Published: June 6, 2023

By. Joanna Slaney, Senior Director, Federal Affairs, and Maricel Maffini, PhD, Consultant

U.S. Capitol dome framed by trees

Source: A. Paige Baker, ShutterSights.com©

What Happened?

On May 19, Reps. Katie Porter, Steve Cohen, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Earl Blumenauer, and Raúl Grijalva issued a letter [PDF, 300KB] to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf calling on FDA to “act expeditiously to protect the public from the health risks posed by phthalates in food and food packaging.”

They asked the FDA to hold a public hearing on ortho-phthalates (phthalates), chemicals associated with disruptions to the development of the male reproductive system and neurodevelopment, among other health effects.

Why It Matters

In 2021, Reps. Porter and Lieu led a letter with 12 colleagues urging FDA to take action on phthalates in food and cosmetics. That letter, in part, called on FDA to take action on a 2016 petition filed by EDF and allied environmental health organizations asking FDA to revoke its approval for all uses of phthalates in food packaging and processing equipment.

In May 2022, after the petitioners sued, FDA denied the petition. The petitioners formally objected to the decision and requested a public hearing pursuant to FDA’s regulations. The agency has not provided any timeline for acting on the objections.

Request for a Public Hearing

The Representatives stated in the letter submitted last month that  FDA’s decision denying the petition was flawed. “[W]e are deeply concerned about the denial, which was made without deciding whether the remaining approved uses of phthalates in food and food packaging are safe.” (Emphasis original)

They reminded Commissioner Califf of his recent statement that chemical safety is a “really, really important area for the future – for humankind, really – and where science is evolving rapidly,” urging FDA to hold a public hearing on two areas of concern:

  • The agency’s failure to evaluate the safety of phthalates as it was legally required to do before denying the 2016 petition. The letter stated, “failing to evaluate the safety of phthalates is an abdication of the FDA’s continuing obligation to oversee the safety of the food supply.”
  • FDA’s failure to address new toxicity information that raises significant questions about the safety of phthalates. Phthalates are associated with numerous health issues, including reproductive and developmental toxicity, endocrine disruption, immune toxicity, and epigenetic alterations. The letter stated, “the denial of the petition fails to acknowledge, let alone analyze, the dozens of peer-reviewed studies that underscore the toxicity of the phthalates that remain approved for food contact use.”

Next Steps

EDF and our allies will continue to press FDA to hold a public hearing on the safety of phthalates used in food packaging and processing equipment.

Go Deeper

EDF blogs on phthalates

Also posted in Congress, Endocrine disruptors, FDA, Food, Food packaging, Health science, Phthalates, Public health, Public hearing, Regulation, Reproductive toxicity / Tagged , , , , , | Authors: , / Comments are closed