EPA is finalizing a rule to address the unreasonable risk of injury to health presented by methylene chloride under its conditions of use. TSCA requires that EPA address by rule any unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment identified in a TSCA risk evaluation and apply requirements to the extent necessary so that the chemical no longer presents unreasonable risk. EPA's final rule will, among other things, prevent serious illness and death associated with uncontrolled exposures to the chemical by preventing consumer access to the chemical, restricting the industrial and commercial use of the chemical while also allowing for a reasonable transition period where an industrial and commercial use of the chemical is being prohibited, provide a time-limited exemption for a critical or essential use of methylene chloride for which no technically and economically feasible safer alternative is available, and protect workers from the unreasonable risk of methylene chloride while on the job. This final rule is effective on 8 July 2024. POC is Ingrid Feustel, Existing Chemicals Risk Management Division (7405M), Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, EPA, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; tele: (202) 564-3199; email: MethyleneChlorideTSCA@epa.gov.

(Federal Register 8 May 2024 [Rule] Page 39254-39302)