WASHINGTON – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced upcoming actions on methylene chloride, a chemical that can be used for paint stripping. The Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21^st Century Act, which amended the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), requires EPA to perform risk evaluations on the uses of 10 specific chemicals, including methylene chloride. EPA is nearing the completion of Problem Formulations for the first 10 chemicals.

In 2014, EPA addressed the paint stripping uses of methylene chloride in its risk assessment, and in January 2017, EPA proposed prohibiting the consumer and commercial paint stripping uses for methylene chloride. In June 2017, EPA announced that it will not re-evaluate the paint stripping uses of methylene chloride.

EPA announced three updates based on its previous work. EPA intends to finalize the methylene chloride rulemaking. The agency is not re-evaluating the paint stripping uses of methylene chloride and is relying on its previous risk assessments, and it is working to send the finalized rulemaking to OMB shortly.

For more information on TSCA implementation, visit https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca/frank-r-lautenberg-chemical-safety-21st-century-act-5.