I-Toxic-Free Future izibophezele ekukhuthazeni ukusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo ephephile, amakhemikhali kanye nemikhuba yekusasa elinempilo ngocwaningo olusezingeni eliphezulu, ukumela, ukuhlela umphakathi kanye nokubandakanya abathengi.
Kusukela ngawo-1980, ukuchayeka ku-methylene chloride kubulale abathengi abaningi kanye nabasebenzi. Ikhemikhali esetshenziswa kuma-paint thinners kanye neminye imikhiqizo ingabangela ukufa ngokushesha ngenxa yokuphelelwa umoya kanye nesifo senhliziyo, futhi ihlotshaniswa nomdlavuza kanye nokukhubazeka kwengqondo.
Isimemezelo se-EPA ngesonto eledlule sokuvimbela ukusetshenziswa okuningi kwe-methylene chloride sisinika ithemba lokuthi akekho ozobulawa yileli khemikhali elibulalayo.
Umthetho ohlongozwayo uzovimbela konke ukusetshenziswa kwamakhemikhali ngabathengi, kanye nokusetshenziswa okuningi kwezimboni nezentengiselwano, okuhlanganisa izinto zokususa amafutha, izinto zokususa amabala, izinto zokususa upende noma ukumboza, nokuningi.
Kuhlanganisa nokukhululwa kwesikhathi esinqunyelwe ekusetshenzisweni okubucayi ezidingweni zokuvikelwa kwendawo yokusebenza kanye nokukhululwa okuphawulekayo okuvela kuMnyango Wezokuvikela, i-Federal Aviation Administration, uMnyango Wezokuphepha Kwasekhaya, kanye ne-NASA. Njengokuhlukile, i-EPA inikeza "izinhlelo zokuvikelwa kwamakhemikhali endaweni yokusebenza ezinemikhawulo eqinile yokuvezwa ukuze kuvikelwe kangcono abasebenzi." Ngokukhethekile, lo mthetho ugcina amakhemikhali anobuthi kakhulu emashalofini ezitolo nasezindaweni eziningi zokusebenza.
Akuyona into encane ukusho ukuthi umthetho ovimbela i-methylene chloride ngeke neze usetshenziswe ngaphansi koMthetho Wokulawula Izinto Ezinobuthi (i-TSCA) ka-1976, obekulokhu kusebenza kanzima ukuwuguqula iminyaka eminingi.
Ijubane lesenzo sikahulumeni mayelana nezinto ezinobuthi lisalokhu lihamba kancane ngendlela engamukeleki. Akuzange kusize ukuthi ubuholi be-EPA buthathe isimo sokulwa nomthetho ngoJanuwari 2017, njengoba nje ukuguqulwa kwe-TSCA kwaqala ukusebenza. Sekuphele cishe iminyaka eyisikhombisa selokhu imithetho ebuyekeziwe yasayinwa yaba ngumthetho, futhi lesi yisinyathelo sesibili nje i-EPA esisiphakamisile ngokumelene namakhemikhali “akhona” angaphansi kolawulo lwayo.
Lesi isinyathelo esibalulekile ekuvikeleni impilo yomphakathi kumakhemikhali anobuthi. Isikhathi sokusebenza kuze kube manje sibonisa iminyaka yomsebenzi obalulekile odingekayo ukuze kufezwe lo mgomo.
Akumangalisi ukuthi i-dichloromethane isohlwini lwe-EPA “eziyishumi eziphezulu” zamakhemikhali okumele ahlolwe futhi alawulwe ngaphansi kwe-TSCA eguquliwe. Ngo-1976, abantu abathathu bafa ngenxa yokuchayeka ngokushesha kule khemikhali, okwaholela ezicelweni ze-Environmental Protection Agency zokuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kwayo ezintweni zokususa upende.
Ngaphambi kuka-2016, i-EPA yayivele inobufakazi obuningi bezingozi zaleli khemikhali—empeleni, ubufakazi obukhona bashukumisela umphathi wangaleso sikhathi uGina McCarthy ukuba asebenzise amandla e-EPA ngaphansi kwe-TSCA eguquliwe ukuphakamisa ukuvinjelwa kokusetshenziswa kwabathengi kanye nendawo yokusebenza. Upende oqukethe i-methylene chloride kanye nezindlela zokususa. Ekupheleni kuka-2016.
Izishoshovu zethu kanye nabalingani bethu bomfelandawonye bajabule kakhulu ukwabelana ngemibono eminingi kwezinkulungwane ezingamashumi ze-EPA ezitholwe zisekela ukuvinjelwa. Abalingani bakahulumeni bajabule kakhulu ukujoyina nathi emkhankasweni wethu wokukholisa abathengisi abanjengoLowe's kanye neHome Depot ukuthi bayeke ukuthengisa le mikhiqizo ngaphambi kokuba ukuvinjelwa kuphasiswe ekugcineni.
Ngeshwa, i-EPA, eholwa nguScott Pruitt, ivimbe yomibili imithetho futhi yehlisa ijubane lesenzo ekuhlolweni okubanzi kwamakhemikhali.
Ithukuthele ngenxa yokungathathi sinyathelo kwe-EPA, imindeni yentsha eyashona ngenxa yale mikhiqizo yaya eWashington, yahlangana nezikhulu ze-EPA kanye namalungu eCongress, futhi yafunda ngobuntu ngezingozi zangempela ze-methylene chloride. Abanye babo bajoyine thina kanye nabalingani bethu bomfelandawonye ekumangaleleni i-EPA ukuze bathole isivikelo esengeziwe.
Ngo-2019, lapho uKhomishana we-EPA u-Andrew Wheeler ememezela ukuvinjelwa kokuthengiswa kwabathengi, saphawula ukuthi lesi senzo, nakuba samukelekile, sisalimaza abasebenzi.
Omama bezisulu ezimbili kanye nabalingani bethu be-PIRG eVermont bahlanganyele nathi ekufakeni icala enkantolo kahulumeni becela i-EPA ukuthi inikeze abathengi ukuvikeleka okufanayo nabasebenzi. (Ngenxa yokuthi icala lethu alilona lodwa, inkantolo ihlanganyele nezicelo ezivela ku-NRDC, i-Latin American Progressive Labor Council, kanye ne-Halogenated Solvent Manufacturers Association. Lesi sakamuva siphikisane ngokuthi i-EPA akufanele ivimbele ukusetshenziswa kwabathengi.) Nakuba sijabule ngokuthi ijaji lenqabe isicelo seqembu lezentengiselwano embonini sokuqeda umthetho wokuvikelwa kwabathengi, sidumele kakhulu ngokuthi ukwehluleka kwenkantolo ngo-2021 ukufuna i-EPA ukuthi ivimbele ukusetshenziswa kwezentengiselwano kwaveza abasebenzi kule khemikhali eyingozi.
Njengoba i-EPA iqhubeka nokuhlola izingozi ezihlobene ne-methylene chloride, siyaqhubeka nokucindezela ukuvikelwa kwazo zonke izinhlobo zokusetshenziswa kwale khemikhali. Lapho i-EPA ikhipha ukuhlolwa kwayo kwengozi ngo-2020, yanquma ukuthi ukusetshenziswa okungu-47 kwangu-53 “kwakuyingozi kakhulu.” Okukhuthaza nakakhulu, uhulumeni omusha uphinde wahlola ukuthi i-PPE akufanele ibhekwe njengendlela yokuvikela abasebenzi futhi wathola ukuthi konke ukusetshenziswa okungu-53 ngaphandle kokukodwa kwakwenza ingozi engacabangeki.
Sihlangane kaningi nezikhulu ze-EPA kanye ne-White House ezakha ukuhlolwa kwengozi kanye nemithetho yokugcina, zanikeza ukugxekwa kwiKomidi Elilulekayo Lesayensi le-EPA, futhi zalandisa izindaba zalabo abangazange bakwazi ukuya.
Asikaqedi okwamanje – uma umthetho usushicilelwe kwi-Federal Register, kuzoba nesikhathi sokuphawula sezinsuku ezingama-60, ngemuva kwalokho izinhlangano zikahulumeni zizobuyekeza lawo mazwana ngokulandelana kwezinhlamvu zamagama ngaphambi kokuba aqale ukusebenza ekugcineni.
Sinxusa i-EPA ukuthi ikhiphe ngokushesha umthetho oqinile ovikela bonke abasebenzi, abathengi, kanye nemiphakathi ukuze bakwazi ukwenza imisebenzi yabo. Sicela uqinisekise ukuthi izwi lakho liyazwakala ngesicelo sethu esiku-inthanethi ngesikhathi sokuphawula.