Under the E.P.A. proposal, most uses of TCE, including those in processing commercial and consumer products, would be prohibited within one year. For other uses the agency categorized as “limited,” such as use in electric vehicle batteries and the manufacturing of certain refrigerants, there would be a longer transition period and more stringent worker protections.
The administration said that safer alternatives exist for most uses of TCE as a solvent.
Well, that’s overdue, but to be honest a lot of dry cleaning solvents are either toxic (Chloroform, Triclor) or greenhouse gasses (1,1,1 Tricloroethane, Freons), and most if not all come from petroleum sources. Unfortunately, we need them, or replacements anyway, for things as varied as whiteout correction fluid, industrial degreasers, and household cleaners. Finding cheap ways to make substitutes (like limonene, lactates, acetals) from natural sustainable sources is a huge challenge.