{"abstract":"The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing to address the unreasonable risk of injury to human health presented by perchloroethylene (PCE) under its conditions of use as documented in EPA's December 2020 Risk Evaluation for PCE and December 2022 revised risk determination for PCE prepared under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). PCE is a widely used solvent in a variety of occupational and consumer applications including fluorinated compound production, petroleum manufacturing, dry cleaning, and aerosol degreasing. EPA determined that PCE presents an unreasonable risk of injury to health due to the significant adverse health effects associated with exposure to PCE, including neurotoxicity effects from acute and chronic inhalation exposures and dermal exposures, and cancer from chronic inhalation exposures to PCE. 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 the chemical no longer presents unreasonable risk. PCE, also known as perc and tetrachloroethylene, is a neurotoxicant and a likely human carcinogen. Neurotoxicity, in particular impaired visual and cognitive function and diminished color discrimination, are the most sensitive adverse effects driving the unreasonable risk of PCE, and other adverse effects associated with exposure include central nervous system depression, kidney and liver effects, immune system toxicity, developmental toxicity, and cancer. To address the identified unreasonable risk, EPA is proposing to prohibit most industrial and commercial uses of PCE; the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of PCE for the prohibited industrial and commercial uses; the manufacture (including import), processing, and distribution in commerce of PCE for all consumer use; and, the manufacture (including import), processing, distribution in commerce, and use of PCE in dry cleaning and related spot cleaning through a 10- year phaseout. For certain conditions of use that would not be subject to a prohibition, EPA is also proposing to require a PCE workplace chemical protection program that includes requirements to meet an inhalation exposure concentration limit and prevent direct dermal contact. EPA is also proposing to require prescriptive workplace controls for laboratory use, and to establish recordkeeping and downstream notification requirements. Additionally, EPA proposes to provide certain time-limited exemptions from requirements for certain critical or essential emergency uses of PCE for which no technically and economically feasible safer alternative is available.","action":"Proposed rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2023/06/16/2023-12495.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":"751","title":40}],"citation":"88 FR 39652","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"2023-08-15","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Comments must be received on or before August 15, 2023. Under the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA), comments on the information collection provisions are best assured of consideration if the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) receives a copy of your comments on or before July 17, 2023.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720","FRL-8329-02-OCSPP"],"dockets":[{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Conservation Treatment","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0199"},{"title":"2015 Consumer & Commercial Product Survey Data","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0190"},{"title":"Alternative Compliance Strategies for Open Top Vapor Degreasers under a Prohibition of Trichloroethylene","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0188"},{"title":"Locating and Estimating Air Emissions from Sources of Perchloroethylene and Trichloroethylene","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0183"},{"title":"Respiratory Protection Standard","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0169"},{"title":"Allegro(R) 1-Worker 1/4 HP Ambient Air Pump","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0137"},{"title":"2017 National Emissions Inventory Technical Support Document April 2020","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0129"},{"title":"Risk Management for Perchloroethylene Supplemental File: Occupational Risk Calculator","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0123"},{"title":"Meeting with Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance, Cardno ChemRisk, and National Cleaners Association on Risk Management under TSCA section 6 for Perchloroethylene (PCE). October 21, 2021","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0110"},{"title":"Meeting with Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance (HSIA) and EPA to discuss the use of carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene and the risk management process. August 17, 2021","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0106"}],"agency_name":"EPA","documents":[{"comment_count":749,"comment_start_date":"2023-06-16","updated_at":"2023-08-17T01:01:24.247-04:00","comment_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/commenton/EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0024","allow_late_comments":null,"id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0024","comment_end_date":"2023-08-16","regulations_dot_gov_open_for_comment":false}],"supporting_documents_count":243,"id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720","title":"Perchloroethylene (PCE); Rulemaking under TSCA Section 6(a)"}],"document_number":"2023-12495","effective_on":null,"end_page":39723,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"full_text_xml_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/xml/2023/06/16/2023-12495.xml","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2023/06/16/2023-12495/perchloroethylene-pce-regulation-under-the-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/2023-12495?publication_date=2023-06-16","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-2023-06-16/2023-12495/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":72,"page_views":{"count":5431,"last_updated":"2026-06-26 20:15:03 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2023-06-16/pdf/2023-12495.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2023-12495.pdf?1686833119","publication_date":"2023-06-16","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/2023/06/16/2023-12495.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{"2070-AK84":{"issue":"202410","html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2070-AK84/perchloroethylene-pce-regulation-under-the-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca-","title":"Perchloroethylene (PCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)","xml_url":"http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202410&RIN=2070-AK84&operation=OPERATION_EXPORT_XML","priority_category":"Section 3(f)(1) Significant"}},"regulation_id_numbers":["2070-AK84"],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"supporting_documents":[{"title":"Conservation Treatment","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0199"},{"title":"2015 Consumer & Commercial Product Survey Data","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0190"},{"title":"Alternative Compliance Strategies for Open Top Vapor Degreasers under a Prohibition of Trichloroethylene","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0188"},{"title":"Locating and Estimating Air Emissions from Sources of Perchloroethylene and Trichloroethylene","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0183"},{"title":"Respiratory Protection Standard","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0169"},{"title":"Allegro(R) 1-Worker 1/4 HP Ambient Air Pump","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0137"},{"title":"2017 National Emissions Inventory Technical Support Document April 2020","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0129"},{"title":"Risk Management for Perchloroethylene Supplemental File: Occupational Risk Calculator","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0123"},{"title":"Meeting with Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance, Cardno ChemRisk, and National Cleaners Association on Risk Management under TSCA section 6 for Perchloroethylene (PCE). October 21, 2021","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0110"},{"title":"Meeting with Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance (HSIA) and EPA to discuss the use of carbon tetrachloride, trichloroethylene, and perchloroethylene and the risk management process. August 17, 2021","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0106"}],"regulatory_plan":{"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/regulations/2070-AK84/perchloroethylene-pce-regulation-under-the-toxic-substances-control-act-tsca-","title":"Perchloroethylene (PCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)"},"comments_count":749,"agency_id":"EPA","comments_url":"https://www.regulations.gov/docketBrowser?rpp=50&so=DESC&sb=postedDate&po=0&dct=PS&D=EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720","supporting_documents_count":243,"docket_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720","document_id":"EPA-HQ-OPPT-2020-0720-0024","regulation_id_number":"2070-AK84","title":"Perchloroethylene (PCE); Rulemaking under TSCA Section 6(a)","checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2023-08-18T01:00:08Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":false,"signing_date":null,"start_page":39652,"subtype":null,"title":"Perchloroethylene (PCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA)","toc_doc":"Perchloroethylene","toc_subject":"Regulation under the Toxic Substances Control Act:\n","topics":["Chemicals","Environmental protection","Hazardous substances"],"type":"Proposed Rule","volume":88}