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.
Kusukela ngawo-1980, ukuchayeka ku-methylene chloride kuye kwahlotshaniswa nokufa kwabathengi abaningi kanye nabasebenzi. Ikhemikhali esetshenziswa kuma-paint thinners kanye neminye imikhiqizo ebangela ukufa okusheshayo ngenxa yokuphelelwa umoya kanye nokuhlaselwa yinhliziyo, futhi ihlotshaniswa nomdlavuza kanye nokukhubazeka kwengqondo.
Isimemezelo se-EPA ngesonto eledlule sokuvimbela ukusetshenziswa okuningi kwe-methylene chloride sisinika ithemba lokuthi akekho omunye umuntu ozobulawa yileli khemikhali elibulalayo.
Umthetho ohlongozwayo uzovimbela noma yikuphi ukusetshenziswa kwamakhemikhali ngabathengi kanye nezimboni eziningi kanye nezentengiselwano, okuhlanganisa ama-degreaser, ama-stain removers, kanye nama-pending noma coating removers, phakathi kwezinye.
Kuhlanganisa nezidingo zokuvikelwa kwendawo yokusebenza zezimvume zokusetshenziswa okubucayi ezinqunyelwe isikhathi kanye nokukhululwa okuphawulekayo koMnyango Wezokuvikela wase-US, 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." Okungukuthi, umthetho ususa amakhemikhali anobuthi kakhulu emashalofini ezitolo nasezindaweni eziningi zokusebenza.
Kwanele ukusho ukuthi ukuvinjelwa kwe-dichloromethane bekungeke kwenzeke ngaphansi koMthetho Wokulawula Izinto Ezinobuthi (i-TSCA) ka-1976, inguquko ebilokhu isebenza kuyo iminyaka eminingi, hhayi into encane.
Ijubane lesenzo sikahulumeni mayelana nezinto ezinobuthi lihlala lihamba kancane ngendlela engamukeleki. Akuzange kusize ukuthi ngoJanuwari 2017, lapho izinguquko ze-TSCA ziqala ukusebenza, ubuholi be-EPA bathatha isimo sokulwa nomthetho. Ngakho-ke nakhu, cishe eminyakeni eyisikhombisa ngemva kokusayinwa kwemithetho ebuyekeziwe, futhi lokhu kungokwesibili i-EPA iphakamisa isinyathelo ngokumelene namakhemikhali “akhona” ngaphansi kwegunya layo.
Lesi isinyathelo esibalulekile ekuvikeleni impilo yomphakathi kumakhemikhali anobuthi. Isikhathi sokusebenza kuze kube namuhla sibonisa iminyaka yomsebenzi obalulekile wokufinyelela kuleli qophelo.
Akumangazi ukuthi i-methylene chloride isohlwini lwe-EPA “lwe-Top 10″ lwamakhemikhali ahlolwe futhi alawulwa yi-TSCA eguquliwe. Ngo-1976, ukufa kwabantu abathathu kwabangelwa ukuchayeka ngokushesha kule khemikhali, okwadinga i-EPA ukuthi ivimbele ukusetshenziswa kwayo ezisuseni zopende.
I-EPA yayivele inobufakazi obuningi bezingozi zaleli khemikhali kudala ngaphambi kuka-2016 - empeleni, ubufakazi obukhona bashukumisela umphathi wangaleso sikhathi uGina McCarthy ukuthi asebenzise amandla e-EPA ngaphansi kwe-TSCA eguquliwe ngokuphakamisa ukuthi ekupheleni kuka-2016 izindlela zokususa upende kanye nopende oluqukethe i-methylene chloride zivinjelwe kubathengi kanye nasemsebenzini.
Izishoshovu zethu kanye nabalingani bethu bomfelandawonye bajabule kakhulu ukwabelana ngemibono eminingi kwezinkulungwane ezingamashumi ze-EPA ezitholwe zisekela ukuvinjelwa. Abalingani bezwe lonke bajabule kakhulu ukujoyina umkhankaso wethu wokukholisa abathengisi abanjengoLowe's kanye neThe Home Depot ukuthi bayeke ukuthengisa le mikhiqizo ngaphambi kokuba ukuvinjelwa kusebenze ngokugcwele.
Ngeshwa, i-Environmental Protection Agency, eholwa nguScott Pruitt, ikhansele imithetho futhi yalibazisa isinyathelo sokuhlolwa kwamakhemikhali okubanzi.
Ithukuthele ngenxa yokungathathi sinyathelo kwe-EPA, imindeni yentsha eyashona ngenxa yokudla imikhiqizo enjalo yaya eWashington ukuyohlangana nezikhulu ze-EPA kanye namalungu eCongress ukuze kufundiswe abantu ngezingozi zangempela ze-methylene chloride. Abanye babo bahlanganyele nathi kanye nabalingani bethu bomfelandawonye ekumangaleleni i-EPA ukuze bathole isivikelo esengeziwe.
Ngo-2019, lapho uMqondisi we-EPA u-Andrew Wheeler ememezela ukuvinjelwa kokuthengiswa kwabathengi, saphawula ukuthi yize lesi sinyathelo sasithandwa, sisabeka abasebenzi engozini.
Umama wabantu ababili abasebasha abashonile kanye nabalingani bethu beVermont PIRG bajoyine nathi ecaleni lenkantolo kahulumeni befuna ukuvikelwa okufanayo kwabasebenzi okunikezwa yi-EPA kubathengi. (Ngenxa yokuthi icala lethu alihlukile, inkantolo ihlanganyele nezicelo ezivela ku-NRDC, i-Latin American Jobs Council, kanye ne-Halogenated Solvent Manufacturers Association. Lesi sakamuva sithi i-EPA akufanele ivimbele ukusetshenziswa kwabathengi.) Ngenkathi ijaji lenqaba isiphakamiso seqembu lezentengiselwano embonini sokuqeda umthetho wokuvikelwa kwabathengi, sidumele kakhulu ngokuthi ngo-2021 inkantolo yenqaba ukufuna i-EPA ukuthi ivimbele ukusetshenziswa kwezentengiselwano okwaveza abasebenzi kule khemikhali eyingozi.
Njengoba i-EPA iqhubeka nokuhlola izingozi ezihlobene ne-methylene chloride, siyaqhubeka nokucindezela ukuvikelwa kwazo zonke izindlela zokusebenzisa leli khemikhali. Kwaba yinto eqinisekisayo lapho i-EPA ikhipha ukuhlolwa kwayo kwengozi ngo-2020 futhi yanquma ukuthi izicelo ezingu-47 kwezingu-53 zazibeka “ingozi engacabangeki.” Okukhuthaza nakakhulu, uhulumeni omusha uphinde wahlola ukuthi i-PPE akufanele ibhekwe njengendlela yokuvikela abasebenzi, futhi wathola ukuthi konke ngaphandle kokukodwa kokusetshenziswa okungu-53 okubukeziwe kwakumele ingozi engacabangeki.
Sihlangane kaningi nezikhulu ze-EPA kanye ne-White House ezakha ukuhlolwa kwezingozi kanye nezinqubomgomo, zanikeza ubufakazi obubalulekile kwiKomidi Lokweluleka Kwezesayensi le-EPA, futhi zaxoxa izindaba zabantu ababengeke babe lapho.
Asikaqedi okwamanje – uma umthetho usushicilelwe kwi-Federal Register, kuzoba nesikhathi sokuphawula sezinsuku ezingu-60, ngemuva kwalokho izinhlangano zikahulumeni zizohlaziya ukuphawula ngaphambi kokuba kube inguqulo yokugcina.
Sinxusa i-EPA ukuthi yenze umsebenzi ngokukhipha ngokushesha umthetho oqinile ovikela bonke abasebenzi, abathengi kanye nemiphakathi. Sicela unikeze umbono wakho ngenkathi uphawula ngesicelo sethu esiku-inthanethi.