Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency is proposing to ban many business makes use of of the carcinogenic chemical 1-bromopropane and require employee protections for the remaining makes use of.
On July 31, EPA introduced its intent to publish a proposed rule to manage 1-BP. The chemical is continuously used as a solvent in shopper merchandise.
A closing revised danger dedication revealed in December 2022 states that the substance poses unreasonable danger to employees concerned in operations together with home manufacturing, importing, processing as a reactant, repacking, recycling, and use as a solvent for cleansing or degreasing.
Under the proposal, EPA would ban all business makes use of of 1-BP aside from these associated to insulation for constructing and development supplies. “EPA determined that this use did not contribute to the unreasonable risk to people,” an company press launch states.
Although EPA would allow the continued use of 1-BP in vapor and aerosol degreasing, electronics, and digital and metallic merchandise, the proposed rule would mandate that nonfederal employers in these industries set up inside one 12 months a office chemical safety program that units chemical publicity limits.
Additionally, nonfederal employees concerned in manufacturing, processing, recycling and disposal can be required to make use of chemical-resistant gloves inside six months.
The launch notes that “many workplaces already employ stringent controls to reduce exposures to 1-BP.” Existing controls in varied workplaces, comparable to these utilizing the chemical in vapor degreasing, “may already sufficiently reduce exposure to meet the inhalation exposure concentration limit” within the proposal, the company provides.
1-BP is among the many first 10 chemical compounds beneath analysis for potential well being and environmental dangers beneath the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the twenty first Century Act.
“The science shows that 1-BP can cause cancer and other serious health problems, and today’s action is an important step to use the power of our nation’s chemical safety law to finally protect people from this dangerous chemical and prevent cancer-causing exposure,” Michal Freedhoff, assistant administrator of the EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, mentioned within the launch. “Our proposal would end all unsafe consumer exposures from this chemical and put strict protections in place for workers to ensure critical uses can continue safely.”
EPA will settle for public remark for 45 days after the proposal is revealed.
A webinar offering an outline of the proposal is scheduled for 1 p.m. Eastern on Aug. 28.
