Energy and Commerce Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following statement today in response to the Environmental Protection Agency releasing its final rule regulating methylene chloride, a toxic chemical commonly used as a paint stripper:
“This rule falls far short of both the proposed rule and what is needed to prevent unreasonable risks to Americans. The EPA is charged with ensuring the safety of all toxic chemicals, not only those available at retail stores. Workers and others who are exposed through the commercial marketplace deserve equal commitment and protection, and this rule fails them. Furthermore, most retail stores have already stopped selling this chemical voluntarily.
“At this week’s hearing on EPA’s weak implementation of the Toxic Substances Control Act, we heard story after story highlighting how Trump’s EPA is failing to protect workers from exposure to toxic chemicals like methylene chloride. Today’s rule is another such example, and a deeply troubling reminder of this Administration’s close ties with the chemical industry. Anything short of a full ban of methylene chloride is inadequate."
