I-Toxic-Free Futures isebenza ukukhuthaza ukusetshenziswa kwemikhiqizo ephephile, amakhemikhali kanye nemikhuba yekusasa elinempilo ngocwaningo olusezingeni eliphezulu, ukumela, ukuhlela umphakathi kanye nokubandakanya abathengi.
WASHINGTON, DC – Namuhla, uMsizi woMqondisi we-EPA uMichael Friedhoff uphakamise umthetho wokugcina wokuphatha “izingozi ezingenangqondo” ezitholakale ekuhlolweni kwe-EPA kwe-methylene chloride ngaphansi koMthetho Wokulawula Izinto Ezinobuthi (TSCA). Lo mthetho uzovimbela konke ukusetshenziswa kwe-methylene chloride ngabathengi kanye namabhizinisi amaningi, ngaphandle kwezinhlangano ezithile zikahulumeni kanye nabakhiqizi. Umthetho ophakanyisiwe uyisenzo sokugcina sesibili esiphakanyisiwe sekhemikhali “ekhona” ngaphansi kwe-TSCA eguquliwe, kulandela umthetho we-asbestos we-chrysotile we-EPA. Isikhathi sokuphawula sezinsuku ezingama-60 sizoqala ngemuva kokuba umthetho uphrintiwe kwi-Federal Register.
Umthetho ohlongozwayo uvimbela konke ukusetshenziswa kwabathengi kanye nokusetshenziswa okuningi kwamakhemikhali ezimbonini nakwezentengiselwano, okuhlanganisa ama-degreaser, ama-stain removers, kanye nama-remover opende nopende, futhi uphakamisa ukukhululwa okulinganiselwe kwesikhathi okubili kokusetshenziswa okubalulekile ukuhlangabezana nezidingo zokuvikela indawo yokusebenza. I-Toxic-Free Futures yamukele lesi siphakamiso ngenkathi icela i-Environmental Protection Agency ukuthi yenze ngokushesha ukuqedela lo mthetho futhi yandise ukuvikelwa kwawo kubo bonke abasebenzi.
"Imindeni eminingi kakhulu ihlupheke kakhulu ngenxa yale khemikhali; imisebenzi eminingi kakhulu yonakaliswe yiyo. Nakuba imithetho ye-EPA ingaphumeleli, yenza lukhulu ekuqedeni i-methylene chloride ezindaweni zokusebenza nasemakhaya. Kwenziwe intuthuko enkulu," kusho uLiz Hitchcock, umqondisi we-Safe Chemicals for Healthy Families ku-federal Toxic Future Policy Initiative. "Cishe eminyakeni eyisikhombisa edlule, iCongress ibuyekeze i-TSCA ukuze ivumele i-EPA ukuthi ithathe izinyathelo ezinjalo ngezingozi zamakhemikhali ezaziwayo. Lo mthetho uzonciphisa kakhulu ukusetshenziswa kwale khemikhali enobuthi kakhulu," eqhubeka.
“Sekuyisikhathi eside kakhulu, i-methylene chloride iphuce abasebenzi baseMelika impilo yabo ngenkathi ibaphuca upende namafutha abo. Umthetho omusha we-EPA uzosheshisa ukuthuthukiswa kwamakhemikhali aphephile kanye nemikhuba ephephile ngenkathi kwenziwa umsebenzi,” kusho uCharlotte etshela i-Blue-Green Alliance. Brody, iPhini likaMongameli wezeMpilo Yezemisebenzi Nezemvelo.
“Eminyakeni emihlanu edlule, iLowe's yaba ngumthengisi wokuqala omkhulu ukuvimbela ukusetshenziswa kwe-methylene chloride ezisuseni upende, yaqala umphumela we-domino phakathi kwabathengisi abakhulu kakhulu ezweni,” kusho uSchade. “Siyajabula ukuthi i-Environmental Protection Agency ekugcineni ijoyina abathengisi ekuvimbeleni ukutholakala kwe-methylene chloride kubathengi nakubasebenzi. Lo mthetho omusha obalulekile uzohamba ibanga elide ekuvikeleni abathengi nabasebenzi ekuvezweni yileli khemikhali elibangela umdlavuza. Isinyathelo esilandelayo se-Agency umsebenzi we-EPA kufanele kube ukuhlinzeka ngemikhiqizo nabathengisi ngesiqondiso sokuhlola izingozi zezinye izindlela ukuqinisekisa ukuthi amabhizinisi athuthela ezixazululweni eziphephile ngempela.”
“Sigubha lesi senzo sokugcina sivikela abantu ekhemikhalini enobuthi ebulalayo ebizwa ngokuthi i-methylene chloride,” kusho uPaul Burns, umqondisi omkhulu weVermont Public Interest Research Group. “Kodwa futhi siyaqaphela ukuthi kuthathe isikhathi eside kakhulu futhi kwabiza izimpilo eziningi kakhulu.” . Noma yiliphi ikhemikhali elibeka usongo olukhulu nolwesikhathi eside kangaka empilweni yabantu akufanele lithengiswe emakethe evulekile.”
“Lolu usuku oluhle lapho singakhomba khona izinguquko emithethweni yezempilo yomphakathi kanye nemvelo ezosindisa ngokusobala izimpilo, ikakhulukazi kubasebenzi abachayeke kumakhemikhali anobuthi,” kusho uCindy Luppi, umqondisi we-New England Clean Water Initiative. “Le nhlangano ihlanganise amalungu ayo kanye nabalingani bayo bomfelandawonye futhi yafakaza ngokuqondile ngokusekela lesi senzo. “Sikhuthaza i-EPA kaBiden ukuthi iqhubeke nokuthatha lolu hlobo lwesinyathelo esiqondile ukunciphisa imithwalo yempilo, ukuvimbela ukulimala empilweni yethu, nokubonakalisa isayensi yesimanje”
I-Methylene chloride, eyaziwa nangokuthi i-methylene chloride noma i-DCM, iyi-solvent ye-organohalogen esetshenziswa ekususeni upende neminye imikhiqizo. Ihlotshaniswa nomdlavuza, ukukhubazeka kwengqondo kanye nokufa ngokushesha ngenxa yokuminyana. Ukuchayeka ngokushesha kumakhemikhali kube yimbangela yokufa kwabantu abangu-85 e-United States phakathi kuka-1985 no-2018, ngokusho kocwaningo olubukezwe ontanga oluvela ku-Program on Reproductive Health and the Environment (PRHE) e-University of California, eSan Francisco.
Kusukela ngo-2009, i-Toxic Futures kanye nabameli bezempilo ezweni lonke bebesebenza ukuqinisa ukuvikelwa kukahulumeni ngokumelene namakhemikhali anobuthi. Ngemva kweminyaka eminingi yokumelwa yinhlangano eholwa yi-Safe Chemicals, Healthy Families's Toxics Free Future's initiative, i-Lautenberg Chemical Safety Act yasayinwa yaba ngumthetho ngo-2016, inika i-Environmental Protection Agency igunya elidingekayo lokuvimbela amakhemikhali ayingozi njenge-methylene chloride. Kusukela ngo-2017 kuya ku-2019, uhlelo lwe-Toxic-Free Future's Mind the Store lwahola umkhankaso kazwelonke wokuqinisekisa ukuzibophezela kubathengisi abakhulu abangaphezu kweshumi nambili, okuhlanganisa i-Lowe's, i-Home Depot, i-Walmart, i-Amazon nabanye, ukuyeka ukuthengisa upende kanye nezingubo eziqukethe i-methylene remover. I-Chloride. Ngo-2022 nango-2023, i-Toxic-Free Futures yakhuthaza abalingani bomfelandawonye ukuthi baphawule, bafakaze, futhi bahlangane ne-EPA ukuze bamele imithetho yokugcina eqinile.
I-Toxic-Free Futures ingumholi kazwelonke ocwaningweni lwezempilo yezemvelo kanye nokumela. Ngamandla esayensi, imfundo kanye nobushoshovu, i-Toxic-Free Futures ikhuthaza umthwalo wemfanelo oqinile wezomthetho kanye nowezinkampani wokuvikela impilo yabo bonke abantu kanye nomhlaba. www.tokenfreefuture.org
Ukuze uthole ukukhishwa kwabezindaba kanye nezitatimende ebhokisini lakho lokungenayo ngesikhathi esifanele, amalungu abezindaba angacela ukufakwa ohlwini lwethu lwabezindaba.