EPA Extends Postponement of TCE Phase-Out to Mid-February
The EPA is extending by 90 days the postponement of certain regulatory provisions that are part of a final rule on trichloroethylene, or TCE, according to a Federal Register notice. The postponement is now through Feb. 17, 2026.
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The EPA's risk-management rule on TCE, issued Dec. 17, 2024, called for the prohibition of TCE from most commercial and all consumer products (see 2412170020). However, the December 2024 rule allowed timed exemptions for some industrial and commercial uses, and the postponement is related to these exemptions.
The extended postponement comes as the EPA is under pending litigation on this rule, according to the notice.
Last December, the EPA said TCE can be used in rocket booster nozzle production and rocket engine cleaning, asphalt testing and recovery, and in operations related to aerospace and naval machine maintenance. It can also be used in cleaning and furniture care products, degreasers, brake cleaners, sealants, lubricants, adhesives, paints and coatings, arts and crafts spray coatings, and refrigerant manufacturing.
Regulations governing the use of TCE fall under the Toxic Substances Control Act.