EPA Announces Plan to Potentially Phase Out Toxic Vinyl Chloride

WASHINGTON, DC (December 14, 2023) –  Today, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that vinyl chloride is a candidate for high-priority designation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). The primary goal of TSCA is to regulate the introduction of new or existing chemicals into commerce to ensure that they do not pose an unreasonable risk to human health or the environment. If EPA finds vinyl chloride presents unreasonable risk, it must start a process of developing a risk management rule to eliminate all risks that it found to be unreasonable. Risk management may take many forms including, but not limited to, bans or partial bans, phase-outs, restrictions on manufacturing, processing, distributing, or disposing – including volume restrictions and prohibitions on release or discharge. The public will have the opportunity to comment on the proposed risk management rule.

Matt Walker, Clean Air Council Advocacy Director, issued the following statement:

“Clean Air Council is very pleased that EPA has selected vinyl chloride as a candidate for high-priority designation under TSCA.  Vinyl chloride is a known human carcinogen and can cause other serious health harms. In communities that live in the shadow of petrochemical  facilities, the harms from vinyl chloride exposure are compounded by exposures to other other toxic chemicals and stressors. EPA must consider these cumulative risks in its analysis. As the disaster in East Palestine, Ohio demonstrated, people living along rail lines used to transport vinyl chloride are in danger of significant exposures to this toxic chemical. It will be critical for EPA to evaluate these risks.”