Bhalisela i-newsletter yethu yamahhala ye-imeyili, i-Watchdog, ukubuka kwamasonto onke izintatheli zobuqotho bomphakathi.
Ngemva kophenyo lwe-Center for Public Integrity ngokufa kwe-methylene chloride okwathatha amashumi eminyaka, i-US Environmental Protection Agency ngo-2019 yavimbela ukuthengiswa kwezithombe zokudweba eziqukethe isithako kubathengi, futhi izihlobo zezisulu kanye nabameli bezokuphepha bayaqhubeka nokuqalisa umkhankaso wokucindezela umphakathi. I-Environmental Protection Agency ithatha isinyathelo.
Bhalisela iphephandaba lethu lamasonto onke lamahhala le-Watchdog ukuze uthole izindaba zakamuva zokungalingani ezivela ezinhlanganweni zomphakathi.
Inhlangano ifuna okwengeziwe: bathi abasebenzi abavikelwe yimingcele emincane. Iningi labantu abafa ngenxa yokuchayeka kwi-methylene chloride lenzeka emsebenzini. Izinto zokususa upende akuzona zodwa imikhiqizo ongazithola kuyo.
Manje i-Environmental Protection Agency iphakamisa ukuvimbela ukusetshenziswa okuningi kwe-methylene chloride—ezinye izimo zisasebenza, kodwa zimbalwa kakhulu.
“Ngishaqekile kancane, uyazi?” Umfowabo kaBrian Wynn oneminyaka engu-31 ubudala, uDrew, washona ngo-2017 ngesikhathi esusa upende esiqandisini senkampani. Ekuqaleni uWynn wayecabanga ukuthi isinyathelo se-EPA sika-2019 ngokumelene nabasusi bopende “sizoba ibanga elide kakhulu esingalihamba—sahlangatshezwa udonga lwezitini lwabagqugquzeli abaxhaswe ngemali kanye neCongress abakhokhelwa ukuvimba abantu abanjengathi.” “
Umthetho ohlongozwayo uzovimbela ukusetshenziswa kwe-methylene chloride kuyo yonke imikhiqizo yabathengi kanye "nezinhlelo zokusebenza eziningi zezimboni nezentengiselwano," kusho le nhlangano esitatimendeni ngesonto eledlule.
I-Environmental Protection Agency ithe inethemba lokuthi lo mthetho uzoqala ukusebenza ngo-Agasti 2024. Imithethonqubo kahulumeni kumele idlule enkambisweni ebekiwe enikeza umphakathi ithuba lokuthonya umphumela wokugcina.
Leli khemikhali, elaziwa nangokuthi i-methylene chloride, litholakala emashalofini okuthengisa emikhiqizweni efana nezihlanzi ze-aerosol kanye nezihlanzi zamabhulashi ezisetshenziswa kupende kanye nezimbozo. Lisetshenziswa kuma-adhesive ebhizinisi kanye nama-sealant. Abakhiqizi bayisebenzisela ukwenza amanye amakhemikhali.
Le nhlangano ithe okungenani abantu abangu-85 bashonile ngenxa yokuchayeka ngokushesha kwi-methylene chloride kusukela ngo-1980, okuhlanganisa nabasebenzi abathole ukuqeqeshwa kokuphepha kanye nemishini yokuzivikela.
Leso sibalo sivela ocwaningweni lwango-2021 olwenziwe yi-OSHA kanye ne-University of California, eSan Francisco, olwabala inani labashonile njengamanje ngokusekelwe ekubalweni koBumbano lwangaphambilini. Leli nani cishe alinakulinganiswa kahle ngoba enye yezindlela i-methylene chloride ebulala ngayo abantu iwukubangela izifo zenhliziyo, okubonakala kumuntu obukele njengokufa okubangelwa yizimbangela zemvelo ngaphandle kokuthi umuntu uzimisele ukwenza izifundo zobuthi.
UNate Bradford Jr. usebenza ukulondoloza izindlela zokuphila zabantu abamnyama kwezolimo. Lesi sikhathi se-Heist silandisa ngokulwa kwakhe nomlando kahulumeni wokubandlululwa kwabalimi abamnyama. Bhalisela ukuthola ulwazi kanye nezaziso ezingemuva kwezehlakalo lapho kukhishwa iziqephu ezintsha.
Ngokusho kwe-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), leli khemikhali liphinde labangela “imiphumela emibi kakhulu neyesikhathi eside yezempilo” njengomdlavuza kubantu abachayeke kule khemikhali, kodwa hhayi emazingeni abulalayo.
“Izingozi ze-methylene chloride zaziwa kahle,” kubhala le nhlangano emthethweni ohlongozwayo.
Uphenyo loBulungisa Bomphakathi lwango-2015 luthole ukuthi amathuba okungenelela okusindisa impilo ayelokhu ephuthelwa kusukela ngawo-1970. Kodwa-ke, kwaba nokufa okwengeziwe ngemuva kokuba i-Environmental Protection Agency iphakamise okokuqala lo mthetho ngoJanuwari 2017, ngasekupheleni kokubusa kuka-Obama, kanti uhulumeni kaTrump wahlehlisa lesi siphakamiso kwaze kwaba yilapho ephoqeleka ukuba athathe isinyathelo.
ULiz Hitchcock, umqondisi we-Safer Chemicals for Healthier Families, okuyisinyathelo senqubomgomo kahulumeni sekusasa elingenabo ubuthi, uphakathi kwalabo asebesebenze iminyaka eminingi ukuqeda ukubulawa kwabantu okubangelwa yi-methylene chloride. Wamukele isimemezelo sokuvinjelwa okuhlongozwayo njengosuku "olubalulekile".
“Nalapha futhi, abantu bayafa ngokusebenzisa la makhemikhali,” kusho yena. “Uma abantu besebenzisa la makhemikhali, abantu abaseduze bayagula futhi abantu bathola izifo ezingamahlalakhona ngenxa yokusebenzisa la makhemikhali. Sifuna ukuqinisekisa ukuthi sivikela abantu abaningi ngangokunokwenzeka.”
Kodwa wajabula ukuzwa ukuthi i-Environmental Protection Agency ikholelwa ukuthi lo mthetho ngeke uphothulwe ezinye izinyanga ezingu-15.
ULauren Atkins, indodana yakhe eneminyaka engu-31 ubudala uJoshua eyashona ngo-2018 ngemuva kokusebenzisa umshini wokupenda ukupenda ibhayisikili lakhe le-BMX, ukhathazekile ngokuthi ukusetshenziswa kwalo ngeke kuvinjelwe. Wadumala kakhulu ukubona lezi zimbobo esikhangisweni.
“Ngacishe ngaphuma ezicathulweni zami ngaze ngayiqeda yonke incwadi, ngabe sengizizwa ngidabukile kakhulu,” kusho u-Atkins. Ngemva kokushona kwendodana yakhe, umgomo wakhe kwakuwukususa i-methylene chloride emakethe ukuze ingabulali abanye. “Ngilahlekelwe yindodana yami, kodwa indodana yami ilahlekelwe yikho konke.”
I-Environmental Protection Agency ithe ukusetshenziswa kwamakhemikhali ekukhiqizweni kwezidakamizwa akumboziwe yi-Toxic Substances Control Act, ngakho-ke akuvinjelwe yimithethonqubo ehlongozwayo. I-ejensi ithe abasebenzi abaqhubeka nokusebenzisa i-methylene chloride kweminye imisebenzi evunyelwe ngaphansi kwesiphakamiso bazovikelwa yi-"Occupational Chemical Control Programme with Strict Exposure Limits" entsha. I-Methylene chloride ingaba yingozi lapho umusi uqongelela ezindaweni ezivalekile.
Ukusetshenziswa okukhulu okuthile kuzohlala ngaphakathi kwalokhu kukhululwa, okuhlanganisa umsebenzi "obucayi" noma "obucayi ngokuphepha" owenziwa ngamasosha, i-NASA, i-Federal Aviation Administration, kanye nabakhiqizi babo; ukusetshenziswa emalabhorethri; I-US kanye nezinkampani eziyisebenzisa njenge-reagent noma eziyikhiqiza ngezinjongo ezivunyelwe, kusho i-Environmental Protection Agency.
Ngaphandle kwezikhungo zikahulumeni, i-methylene chloride ayisatholakali kuma-paint stripper. Lo mkhiqizo uyimbangela evamile yokufa phakathi kwabasebenzi abavuselela amagumbi okugeza amadala emakhaya nasemafulethini.
Futhi i-methylene chloride ngeke isavunyelwa ukusetshenziswa ekususeni amafutha ngomusi kwezentengiselwano nasezimbonini, ekususeni okunamathelayo, ekuqedeni indwangu, ezintweni zokugcoba eziwuketshezi, ezintweni zokuzilibazisa kanye nohlu olude lwezinye izinto ezisetshenziswayo.
“Njengamanje, cishe abantu abangu-845,000 babhekene ne-methylene chloride emsebenzini,” kusho i-Environmental Protection Agency esitatimendeni. “Ngaphansi kwesiphakamiso se-EPA, abasebenzi abangaphansi kuka-10,000 kulindeleke ukuthi baqhubeke nokusebenzisa i-methylene chloride futhi babhekane nezinhlelo zokuvikela amakhemikhali ezidingekayo emsebenzini ezingozini ezingafaneleki.”
UDkt. Robert Harrison, uprofesa wezokwelapha kwezokwelapha kanye nezemvelo eNyuvesi yaseCalifornia, eSan Francisco, ubelokhu esebenza ku-methylene chloride cishe iminyaka eyishumi. Uthe i-Environmental Protection Agency ilandela isiphakamiso sokuzama ukulinganisela ukuphepha nezinkinga zomnotho kanye nezokuphepha kwezwe, futhi uthole ukuthi ububanzi bokuvinjelwa kuyakhuthaza.
“Ngicabanga ukuthi lokhu kuwukunqoba. Lokhu kuwukunqoba kwabasebenzi,” kusho uHarrison, owayehilelekile ocwaningweni lwango-2021 mayelana nokufa okuhlobene namakhemikhali. “Lokhu kubeka isibonelo esihle kakhulu sokwenza izinqumo nokusungula izimiso ezisekelwe kwisayensi ecacile… Kumelwe siqede la makhemikhali anobuthi ukuze sikhethe ezinye izindlela eziphephile ezilimaza kakhulu kunokuhle.”
Ungase ucabange ukuthi amakhemikhali akufanele athengiswe emakethe ngaphandle kokuthi kutholakale ukuthi aphephile. Kodwa akuyona indlela uhlelo lwaseMelika olusebenza ngayo leyo.
Ukukhathazeka ngokuphepha kwamakhemikhali kwashukumisela iCongress ukuthi idlulise uMthetho Wokulawula Izinto Ezinobuthi ngo-1976, owabeka izidingo ezithile kumakhemikhali. Kodwa lezi zinyathelo zibhekwa kabanzi njengezibuthakathaka, okushiya i-Environmental Protection Agency ingenalo igunya lokwenza ukuhlolwa okubanzi kokuphepha. I-Federal Inventory, eyanyatheliswa ngo-1982, ibala amakhemikhali angaba ngu-62,000, futhi lelo nani liyaqhubeka nokukhula.
Ngo-2016, iCongress yashintsha i-TSCA ukuze igunyaze i-Environmental Protection Agency ukuthi yenze ukuhlolwa kwezingozi zamakhemikhali. I-Methylene chloride yayiyinkinga yokuqala exazululwe yi-ejensi.
“Yingakho sizama ukuguqula i-TSCA,” kusho uHitchcock, owabelana nophenyo lobuqotho bomphakathi emahhovisi ePhalamende ngaleso sikhathi njengezibonelo ezinhle zokungenzi lutho okubulalayo.
Isinyathelo esilandelayo ekuvinjelweni kwe-methylene chloride okuhlongozwayo kuzoba isikhathi sokuphawula komphakathi sezinsuku ezingama-60. Abantu bazokwazi ukuveza umbono wabo ohlelweni lwe-EPA, futhi abameli bezokuphepha bahlangana ngalolu daba.
“Lesi isinyathelo esikhulu sempilo yomphakathi, kodwa asiphumi nezingozi zaso,” kusho uHitchcock. Wayefuna ukubona amazwana “ecela i-Environmental Protection Agency ukuthi yamukele imithethonqubo eqinile ngangokunokwenzeka.”
UHarrison wake wathi ukulawulwa kwamakhemikhali e-United States kuqhubeke kancane kakhulu kwaze kwaba yilapho izinguzunga zeqhwa ziqala ukukudlula. Kodwa ubona intuthuko kusukela ezinguqulweni ze-TSCA zango-2016. Umthetho omusha we-methylene chloride umnika ithemba.
“Kunezinye izinto eziningi ezingalandela isinqumo sase-US nge-methylene chloride,” kusho yena.
I-Public Integrity ayinawo udonga lokukhokha futhi ayiwamukeli ukukhangisa ngakho-ke ubuntatheli bethu bokuphenya bungaba nomthelela omkhulu ekuxazululeni ukungalingani eMelika. Umsebenzi wethu ungenzeka ngenxa yokusekelwa ngabantu abanjengani.
UJamie Smith Hopkins ungumhleli kanye nentatheli ephezulu ye-Center for Public Integrity. Umsebenzi wakhe uhlanganisa neminye imisebenzi kaJamie Smith Hopkins.
I-Center for Public Integrity yinhlangano yezindaba eziphenyayo engenzi nzuzo egxile ekungalingani eMelika. Asizamukeli izikhangiso noma sikhokhise abantu ukuthi bafunde umsebenzi wethu.
       Lesi sihlokokuvele okokuqala ku-Isikhungo Sobuqotho Bomphakathifuthi yanyatheliswa kabusha ngaphansi kwelayisensi ye-Creative Commons.