US proposes complete ban on trichloroethylene

Manufacturing parts

Source: © Virojt Changyencham/Getty Images

If implemented, most uses would be phased out within a year, with limited exemptions 

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a ban on all uses of trichloroethylene (TCE), a common industrial degreasing solvent considered to be a human carcinogen. The new rule, expected to be finalised sometime in 2024 after a stakeholder comment period, will broadly impact chemical companies, according to Lynn Kornfeld, a partner at the Denver, Colorado-headquartered law firm Holland & Hart.