EPA begins formal review of 5 toxic chemicals, including one in Ohio train derailment
Emily Le Coz | December 14, 2023 | USA Today
The U.S. Environmental Agency Thursday took the first step toward potentially restricting or banning the use of five toxic chemicals used to make plastics, adhesives and paints.
Among them is a key ingredient in PVC plastic – vinyl chloride – a common material for water and sewer pipes, medical equipment and toys. It’s also a known carcinogen, and exposure to the substance has been linked to numerous health effects.
In February 2023, train cars carrying vinyl chloride derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, sickening residents, who complained of headaches, sore throats, eye irritation and coughing.
“This is welcomed, and long overdue, news from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,” said Judith Enck, a former regional EPA administrator and the president of Beyond Plastics, a nonprofit environmental group based at Bennington College in Vermont.
Beyond Plastics has called for the EPA to ban vinyl chloride and earlier this year released a report warning about the potential dangers of using PVC in drinking water pipes.
“Vinyl chloride was classified as a human carcinogen in 1974,” Enck said in a written statement. “That same year, the federal government wisely banned the use of vinyl chloride in hair sprays, refrigerants, cosmetics, and drugs. Almost 50 years later, the EPA has announced that it has put this highly toxic chemical on a list to be evaluated for future restrictions or an outright ban.”
