EPA Extends Certain Compliance Dates for Trichloroethylene Rule

A new proposed rule published by EPA on Wednesday would extend some compliance dates for its risk management rule for the solvent trichloroethylene (TCE). According to the Federal Register, this new proposed rule is intended to address “ongoing difficulties associated with compliance dates … for certain chemical processors and refrigerant manufacturers” related to EPA’s risk management rule for TCE, which was issued in December 2024, and a 2025 interim final rule that previously extended other compliance deadlines for the TCE rule.

Chemical processors would now have until Dec. 31, 2027, to comply with the rule’s prohibitions on processing TCE as a reactant or intermediate, using it as a processing aid, and disposing of it from these uses. A proposed amendment to the compliance deadline for downstream notification, which is intended to “spread awareness throughout the supply chain of the restrictions on use of TCE under [the Toxic Substances Control Act],” would reflect the new prohibition compliance deadline. Another proposed extension would allow manufacturers additional time—until Dec. 31, 2027, instead of June 7—to complete a step in the process of phasing out processing TCE as an intermediate in the production of the refrigerant HFC-134a.

EPA is accepting comments on all aspects of its new proposed rule until Nov. 13. For further details, see the Federal Register notice outlining the rule and the agency’s webpage on risk management for TCE.