The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has finalized a rule aimed at protecting workers from exposure to carbon tetrachloride (CTC), a chemical linked to liver cancer, brain tumors, and adrenal gland tumors. This measure is part of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, which seeks to reduce cancer rates across the nation. The rule mandates robust worker safety programs and bans certain uses of CTC.
Michal Freedhoff, Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, stated, "With this action, we’re ensuring that the chemicals we need to power our economy are used safely." She emphasized that the rule provides necessary protections for workers while allowing important uses of CTC to continue without unreasonable risk.
Danielle Carnival, Deputy Assistant to the President for the Cancer Moonshot, remarked on the significance of this development: "President Biden has championed actions that reduce Americans’ exposure to known cancer-causing toxins... Today’s announcement is a win for American workers."
CTC is primarily used in commercial settings as a raw material in producing chemicals found in refrigerants and aerosol propellants. While its use in consumer products was banned by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 1970, it remains vital for manufacturing low global warming potential chemicals under regulations like the Montreal Protocol and Clean Air Act.
The final rule eliminates discontinued uses of CTC deemed risky by EPA but allows some ongoing uses with proper workplace protections. These include its incorporation into agricultural product manufacturing and vinyl chloride production—originally proposed for prohibition but now permitted due to public feedback demonstrating feasibility of safety measures.
Companies have been given 36 months instead of 12 months to implement these workplace protections fully. The final rule aligns with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards and requires facilities to ensure engineering controls do not increase emissions outside their premises.
For more details on this regulation, visit EPA's Risk Management for Carbon Tetrachloride webpage.