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Updates: On August 18, 2025, EPA announced that it will further postpone the effective date of the exemption requirements under TSCA Section 6(g) for TCE until November 17, 2025. Click here for more details.
On June 23, 2025, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) updated the effective date for certain provisions of TSCA Risk Management Rule for trichloroethylene (TCE). The Agency is postponing until August 19, 2025 regarding TSCA Section 6(g) exemptions in the final TCE rule.
Background
On December 17, 2024, EPA issued the final rule prohibiting all uses of TCE (89 FR 102568, December 17, 2024), which was originally intended to take effect on January 16, 2025. Once taking effect, this rule will prohibit TCE manufacturing and processing for most commercial uses and all consumer products within one year.
The delayed enforcement of TCE rule is partially due to the submitted petitions for an administrative stay of the final rule. The petitioners called for review of the final rule's effective date and workplace conditions for battery separator manufacturers.
On January 16, 2025, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals left the temporary administrative stay in place pending further order of the court. In accordance with the memorandum of January 20, 2025, from President Trump, entitled “Regulatory Freeze Pending Review,” EPA temporarily delayed the effective date of the final rule until March 21, 2025 (90 FR 8254, January 28, 2025).
On March 21, 2025, EPA signed a notice to further postpone the effective date of the provisions applicable to the conditions of use subject to TSCA Section 6(g) exemptions until June 20, 2025.
Third postponement of effective date
In light of the fact that the pending litigation is still ongoing, EPA has decided to postpone again the effective date of the conditions for each of the TSCA Section 6(g) exemptions until August 19, 2025.
The extension of the postponement
applies, for example, to the conditions imposed under the TSCA Section 6(g) exemption for the
use of TCE as a processing aid for specialty polymeric microporous sheet material
manufacturing.
TSCA Section 6(g)
TSCA Section 6(g) allows the EPA to grant exemptions from risk management rules for specific uses of chemicals if certain conditions are met. These exemptions can be granted if a use is deemed critical or essential, and no safer alternatives exist, or if the restriction would significantly disrupt the national economy, national security, or critical infrastructure.
