I-Toxic-Free Future izinikele ekudaleni ikusasa elinempilo ngokukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo ephephile, amakhemikhali kanye nemikhuba ngocwaningo olusezingeni eliphezulu, ukumela, ukuhlelwa kwezinhlangano eziningi kanye nokubandakanya abathengi.
I-WASHINGTON, eSifundeni saseColumbia. Namuhla, uMsizi woMqondisi we-EPA uMichal Friedhoff uphakamise umthetho wokugcina wokuphatha "ingozi engacabangeki" etholakala ekuhlolweni kwe-EPA kwe-methylene chloride ngaphansi koMthetho Wokulawula Izinto Ezinobuthi (TSCA). Lo mthetho uzovimbela bonke abathengi kanye nokusetshenziswa okuningi kwezentengiselwano nezimboni kwe-methylene chloride, ngaphandle kwezinhlangano ezithile zikahulumeni kanye nabakhiqizi. Umthetho ophakanyisiwe uyisenzo sokugcina sesibili esiphakanyisiwe ngaphansi kwe-TSCA eguquliwe yamakhemikhali "akhona", kulandela umthetho we-chrysotile we-EPA. Uma umthetho usushicilelwe ku-Federal Register, kuzoqala isikhathi sokuphawula sezinsuku ezingama-60.
Umthetho ohlongozwayo uvimbela noma yikuphi ukusetshenziswa kwamakhemikhali ngabathengi kanye nezimboni eziningi kanye nezentengiselwano, okuhlanganisa ama-degreaser, ama-stain removers, kanye nama-paint or coating removers, phakathi kokunye, futhi usungula izidingo zokuvikela indawo yokusebenza yezimvume ezimbili zokusebenzisa okubalulekile ezinqunyelwe isikhathi. I-Toxic Free Future yamukele lesi siphakamiso, inxusa i-EPA ukuthi iqedele lo mthetho futhi yandise ukuvikelwa kwawo kubo bonke abasebenzi ngokushesha okukhulu.
“Imindeni eminingi kakhulu ibhekane nezinhlekelele eziningi kakhulu ngenxa yale khemikhali; izisebenzi eziningi kakhulu zithintekile ngokuchayeka kwayo ezindaweni zazo zokusebenza. Nakuba yehlulekile, i-US Environmental Protection Agency yenze intuthuko enkulu ekususeni amakhemikhali,” kusho uLiz. . UHitchcock, umqondisi we-Safer Chemicals Healthy Families, uhlelo lwenqubomgomo yesikhathi esizayo olungenazo izidakamizwa lukahulumeni. “Cishe eminyakeni eyisikhombisa edlule, iCongress yabuyekeza i-TSCA ukuze ivumele i-EPA ukuthi ithathe isinyathelo esinjalo ezingozini zamakhemikhali ezaziwayo. Lo mthetho uzonciphisa kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kwale khemikhali enobuthi kakhulu,” eqhubeka.
“I-Methylene chloride ibilokhu iphuca abasebenzi baseMelika impilo yabo, kanye nopende kanye nezinto zokugcoba. Umthetho omusha we-EPA uzosheshisa ukuthuthuka kwamakhemikhali aphephile kanye nemikhuba ephephile esaqhubeka nokwenza umsebenzi,” kusho uCharlotte Brody, RN, iphini likamongameli we-Occupational and Environmental Health, i-BlueGreen Alliance.
“Eminyakeni emihlanu edlule, iLowe's yaba ngumthengisi wokuqala omkhulu ukuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kwe-methylene chloride kuma-paint thinners, okubangela umphumela we-domino phakathi kwabathengisi abakhulu kunabo bonke ezweni,” kusho uMike Shade, umqondisi we-Mind the Store, ophrojekthi yakhe i-Project Toxic. – Free future. “Siyajabula ukuthi i-EPA ekugcineni isebenza nabathengisi ukuvimbela abathengi nabasebenzi ekusebenziseni i-methylene chloride. Lo mthetho omusha obalulekile uzohamba ibanga elide ekuvikeleni abathengi nabasebenzi kuleli khemikhali elibangela umdlavuza. Izinyathelo ezilandelayo ze-EPA ukuhlinzeka ngesiqondiso kubakhiqizi nabathengisi ekuhloleni izingozi zezinye izindlela ukuqinisekisa ukuthi izinkampani ziya ezixazululweni eziphephile ngempela.”
“Siyawuncoma lo mkhuba, ozogcina uvikele abantu ekhemikhalini enobuthi ebulalayo ebizwa ngokuthi i-methylene chloride,” kusho uPaul Burns, umqondisi omkhulu weVermont Public Interest Research Group, “kodwa futhi siyavuma ukuthi kuthathe isikhathi eside kakhulu futhi kwabiza kakhulu izimpilo zabantu abaningi. Noma yiliphi ikhemikhali elibeka usongo olukhulu nolwesikhathi eside kangaka empilweni yabantu akufanele libekwe emakethe yomphakathi.”
“Lolu usuku oluhle kakhulu kithi lokukhomba izinguquko emithethweni yethu yezempilo yomphakathi kanye nemvelo okusobala ukuthi zizosindisa izimpilo, ikakhulukazi phakathi kwabasebenzi abachayeke kumakhemikhali anobuthi,” kusho uCindy Lu, umqondisi we-Clean Water Action New England. amalungu kanye nabalingani bomfelandawonye futhi wafakaza ngokuqondile ekusekeleni lo msebenzi. “Sikhuthaza i-EPA Biden ukuthi iqhubeke nesenzo esiqondile sokunciphisa umthwalo empilweni, ukuvimbela ukulimala empilweni yethu, nokubonakalisa isayensi yamanje.”
I-Dichloromethane, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-dichloromethane noma i-DCM, iyisithako se-organohalogen esisetshenziswa kuma-paint thinners nakweminye imikhiqizo. Ihlotshaniswa nomdlavuza, ukukhubazeka kwengqondo, kanye nokufa ngokushesha ngokufutha. Phakathi kuka-1985 no-2018, ukuchayeka ngokushesha kule khemikhali kwaba yimbangela yokufa kwabantu abangu-85 e-United States, ngokusho kocwaningo olubukezwe ontanga yi-UCSF Program for Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE).
Kusukela ngo-2009, i-Toxic-Free Future kanye ne-National Health Advocates bebesebenza ukuqinisa ukuvikelwa kukahulumeni kumakhemikhali anobuthi. Ngemva kweminyaka eminingi yokumelwa yinhlangano eholwa yi-Safe Chemicals for Healthy Families of a Toxic-Free Future Initiative, uMthetho Wokuphepha Kwamakhemikhali waseLautenberg wasayinwa waba ngumthetho ngo-2016, onikeza i-EPA igunya elidingekayo lokuvimbela amakhemikhali ayingozi njenge-methylene chloride. Kusukela ngo-2017 kuya ku-2019, uhlelo lwe-Toxic-Free Future's Mind the Store lwaqhuba umkhankaso kazwelonke ohilela abathengisi abakhulu abangaphezu kweshumi nambili okuhlanganisa i-Lowe's, i-Home Depot, i-Walmart, i-Amazon nabanye ukuze kumiswe ukuthengiswa kwama-chloride okususa upende nokumboza aqukethe i-methylene. Ngo-2022 nango-2023, i-Toxin Free Future izoletha abalingani bomfelandawonye ukuze baphawule, bafakaze futhi bahlangane ne-EPA ukuze bamele umthetho wokugcina oqinile.
I-Toxic-Free Future ingumholi kazwelonke ocwaningweni nasekuvikelweni kwemvelo. Ngamandla esayensi, imfundo kanye nobushoshovu, i-Toxic Free Futures ikhuthaza imithetho eqinile kanye nomthwalo wemfanelo wezinkampani ukuvikela impilo yabo bonke abantu kanye nomhlaba. www.toxicfreefuture.org
Ukuze uthole ukukhishwa kwabezindaba kanye nezitatimende ngesikhathi esifanele ebhokisini lakho lokungenayo, amalungu abezindaba angacela ukungezwa ohlwini lwethu lwezindaba.