Photo: Oregon State University Environmental Health and Safety
Washington — The Environmental Protection Agency says compliance dates for its ban on uses of methylene chloride have been extended for nonfederal laboratories involved in “the industrial or commercial use” of the carcinogenic chemical “in a laboratory process or in specialized laboratory equipment.”
The agency’s May 2024 final rule established the ban. Widely used for bathtub refinishing, as well as in paint strippers, cleaners, adhesives and sealants, methylene chloride has contributed to the deaths of 88 workers since 1980, EPA stated at the time the ban was announced.
Under a final rule published Nov. 13, the agency will offer “relief” to laboratories “facing near-term challenges in implementing” the ban. It will extend the compliance deadlines for:
- Initial monitoring: Initially May 5, 2025; now Nov. 9, 2026
- Establishing regulated areas and ensuring compliance with the existing chemical exposure limit: Initially Aug. 1, 2025; now Feb. 8, 2027
- Ensuring the methods of compliance and developing and implementing an exposure control plan – Initially Oct. 30, 2025; now May 10, 2027
EPA says the new deadlines for use of methylene chloride as a laboratory chemical “applies to all laboratories, including industrial, commercial, academic and research laboratories, except for those laboratories owned or operated by a federal agency or a contractor acting on behalf of the federal government.”
Potentially affected labs include (by North American Industry Classification System code):
- Testing Laboratories (541380)
- Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715 or 541710)
- Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal (562211)
- Solid Waste Combustors and Incinerators (562213)
- Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories (621511 or 621999)
The final rule is set to go into effect Dec. 15.
EPA proposed the ban in May 2023. A final revised risk determination published in November 2022 stated that methylene chloride, as a whole chemical substance, posed “unreasonable risk” to workers under 52 of the 53 conditions of use studied. Among them:
- Electrical equipment, appliance and component manufacturing
- Oil and gas drilling, extraction, and support activities
- Adhesive/caulk removal
- Cold pipe insulation
- Aerosol and non-aerosol degreasing and cleaning
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Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication