[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 144 (Wednesday, July 29, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 47830-47832]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2026-15267]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0421; FRL-13532-01-OCSPP]
1,1,2-Trichloroethane Draft Risk Evaluation Under the Toxic
Substances Control Act (TSCA); Notice of Availability and Request for
Comment
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA or Agency) is
announcing the availability of and seeking public comment on the draft
risk evaluation under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) for
1,1,2-trichloroethane. The purpose of risk evaluations under TSCA is to
determine whether a chemical substance presents an unreasonable risk of
injury to health or the environment under the conditions of use (COUs),
including unreasonable risk to potentially exposed or susceptible
subpopulations identified as relevant to the risk evaluation by EPA,
and without consideration of costs or non-risk factors. EPA is seeking
comment on the draft risk evaluation for 1,1,2-trichloroethane.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before September 28, 2026.
ADDRESSES: To submit comments on the 1,1,2-trichloroethane draft risk
evaluation, submit your comments, identified by docket identification
(ID) number EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0421, online at https://www.regulations.gov.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Do not
electronically submit any information you consider to be Confidential
Business Information (CBI) or other information whose disclosure is
restricted by statute. Members of the public should also be aware that
personal information included in any written comments may be posted on
the internet at https://www.regulations.gov. Additional information on
commenting or visiting the docket, along with more information about
dockets generally, is available at https://www.epa.gov/dockets.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
For technical information on 1,1,2-trichloroethane: Matthew Lloyd,
Existing Chemical Risk Management Division, Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics, Environmental Protection Agency, 1200
Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20460-0001; telephone number:
(202) 566-2389; email address: [email protected].
For general information: The TSCA Assistance Information Service
Hotline, Goodwill Vision Enterprises, 422 South Clinton Ave.,
Rochester, NY 14620; telephone number: (800) 471-7127 or (202) 554-
1404; email address: [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Executive Summary
A. Does this action apply to me?
This action is directed to the public in general and may be of
particular interest to those involved in the manufacture (defined under
TSCA section 3(9) to include import), processing, distribution, use,
and disposal of 1,1,2-trichloroethane, related industry trade
organizations, non-governmental organizations with an interest in human
and environmental health, State and local governments, Tribal Nations,
and/or those interested in the assessment of risks involving chemical
substances and mixtures regulated under TSCA. As such, the Agency has
not attempted to describe all the specific entities that this action
might apply to. If you need help determining applicability, consult the
relevant technical contact listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.
B. What is the Agency's authority for taking this action?
The Agency is conducting this risk evaluation under TSCA section 6,
(15 U.S.C. 2605) which requires that EPA conduct risk evaluations on
chemical substances and identifies the minimum components EPA must
include in the risk evaluations. Each risk evaluation must be conducted
consistent with the best available science, be based on the weight of
the scientific evidence, and consider reasonably available information,
and not consider costs or non-risk factors (15 U.S.C. 2625(h), (i), and
(k)). See also the implementing procedural regulations at 40 CFR part
702.
C. What action is the Agency taking?
EPA is announcing the availability of and seeking public comment on
the draft risk evaluation under TSCA for 1,1,2-trichloroethane. EPA
used the best available science to prepare this draft risk evaluation
and preliminarily determined, based on the weight of scientific
evidence, that 1,1,2-trichloroethane does pose unreasonable risk to
human health driven by certain COUs analyzed in the draft risk
evaluation.
D. What should I consider as I submit my comments to EPA?
1. Submitting CBI
Do not submit CBI through https://www.regulations.gov or email. If
you wish to include CBI in your comment, please follow the applicable
instructions at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets#rules and clearly mark the information that you claim to be
CBI. Information so marked will not be disclosed except in accordance
with procedures set forth in 40 CFR parts 2 and 703, as applicable.
2. Tips for Preparing Comments
When preparing and submitting your comments, see the commenting
tips at https://www.epa.gov/dockets/commenting-epa-dockets.
II. Background for 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
A. What is 1,1,2-Trichloroethane?
1,1,2-Trichloroethane is primarily used in plastic and
petrochemical manufacturing. 1,1,2-Trichloroethane is also used in
industrial adhesives and sealants and as a laboratory chemical. Workers
and occupational non-users (ONUs) may be exposed to 1,1,2-
trichloroethane through the inhalation route and workers through the
dermal route associated with manufacturing, processing, use, or
disposal of 1,1,2-trichloroethane. Consumers may be exposed to 1,1,2-
trichloroethane through the dermal and inhalation routes during
intended product use as an adhesive. Environmental releases to air,
water, and land occur from industrial and waste handling facilities
(e.g., Publicly Owned Treatment Works, landfills, and incinerators).
1,1,2-Trichloroethane is expected to be persistent in air and water but
is not expected to sorb to soil.
B. The Risk Evaluation of 1,1,2-Trichloroethane
In December 2019, EPA announced its designation of 1,1,2-
trichloroethane (Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OPPT-2018-0421) as a high-priority
substance for risk evaluation under TSCA (84 FR 71924 (FRL-10003-15-
OCSPP)). In April 2020, EPA published and sought public comment on the
draft scope of the 1,1,2-trichloroethane risk evaluation (85 FR 19941
(FRL-10007-11-OCSPP)), and, after considering public comments, issued
the final scope on September 4, 2020 (85 FR 55281 (FRL-10013-90-
OCSPP)).
In this draft risk evaluation, EPA assessed human health risk to
workers (including ONUs), consumers, and the general population
(including fenceline communities and potentially exposed susceptible
subpopulations or PESS) exposed to environmental releases of 1,1,2-
trichloroethane. Specifically, EPA evaluated acute, intermediate, and
chronic non-cancer and cancer risks to workers and ONUs; acute and
chronic non-cancer risks to consumers; and acute and chronic non-cancer
and cancer risks to the general population (including fenceline
communities and PESS). This draft risk evaluation also assessed acute
and chronic risks to the environment, specifically to aquatic and
terrestrial species.
C. Request for Comment
EPA seeks feedback on the assessment of risk presented in the draft
risk evaluation for 1,1,2-trichloroethane, a copy of which is available
in the docket, and encourages all potentially interested parties,
including individuals, governmental and non-governmental organizations,
non-profit organizations, academic institutions, research institutions,
and private sector entities to comment on the draft risk evaluation. To
the extent possible, the Agency asks commenters to please cite any
public data related to or that support comments provided, and to the
extent permissible, describe any supporting data that are not publicly
available.
EPA welcomes specific input on each section of the draft risk
evaluation, and is particularly interested in additional information
that informs the topics below.
Importation by whom and in what quantities.
Whether 1,1,2-trichloroethane is manufactured as a primary
product in the United States and in what quantities, as well as
information on the chemical manufacturing process and potential for
occupational exposure or airborne releases.
As described in Section 3.1.1.1, EPA identified
Manufacturing as a Byproduct in the Pulp and Paper Industry as an
Occupational Exposure Scenario (OES) for 1,1,2-trichloroethane. EPA
seeks more information as to how 1,1,2-trichloroethane produced as a
byproduct at pulp and paper manufacturing facilities is further used,
disposed of, and/or distributed by the producing facility.
Additionally, EPA seeks information on process descriptions, airborne
exposure
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concentrations of 1,1,2-trichloroethane, and the use of personal
protective equipment (PPE) and controls relevant to this OES.
Whether 350 operating days per site-year is an appropriate
default for EPA to use for the number of operating days for a
manufacturing facility and also comment on the other default values
that EPA uses for operating days for the other OES assessed (See Table
3-4).
Information on worker schedules and exposures, including
shift hours, working days per week, and working years, for any of the
COUs and OESs assessed by EPA in this draft risk evaluation.
Containers and method of transport for how 1,1,2-
trichloroethane is distributed to COUs that were not reported through
Chemical Data Reporting such as adhesives and sealants, use as a
laboratory chemical, and for cleaning and degreasing applications such
as vapor degreasing and cold cleaning.
Information on process descriptions for how 1,1,2-
trichloroethane is used in adhesives and sealants (Use of Adhesives and
Sealants OES), as a laboratory chemical (Commercial Use of a Laboratory
Chemical OES), and in cleaning and degreasing applications such as
vapor degreasing and cold cleaning (Use of Cleaning and Degreasing
Solvents OES).
Whether there are current uses of 1,1,2-trichloroethane
for the OES of Use of Cleaning and Degreasing Solvents.
Process description and worker activity information for
remediation processes involving 1,1,2-trichloroethane including
information on whether the remediation OES is representative of the
disposal COU.
Additional worker inhalation monitoring data for any of
the COUs and OESs assessed by EPA in the draft risk evaluation, as well
as specific information on respiratory protection usage (e.g., what
type of respirator and for what tasks, how respirators are selected and
assigned, etc) for all COUs.
Information which may be useful to EPA related to existing
dermal protections including specifications from the manufacturers or
suppliers that demonstrate an impervious barrier to 1,1,2-
trichloroethane during expected durations of use and normal conditions
of exposure within the workplace, including any information which
accounts for potential chemical permeation, penetration, or
breakthrough times.
EPA provided additional discussion of the available
information on dermal PPE usage and existing controls for the
Manufacturing as a Byproduct OES in the risk determination (see Section
6.1.3 of the draft risk evaluation). EPA welcomes additional
information on how dermal protection is selected, applied, and utilized
for this OES.
Additional data on environmental releases for any of the
COUs and OESs assessed by EPA in the draft risk evaluation.
As described in Section 4.3.2.1.3 of the draft risk
evaluation, EPA relied on conservative assumptions to estimate facility
throughput that is utilized in the occupational exposure model for the
OES of Repackaging for Laboratory Chemical Use. EPA seeks additional
information to inform the use of these conservative assumptions, or to
further refine the assumptions utilized in this exposure model.
VI. Next Steps
After consideration of comments received from the public on the
draft risk evaluation and input from the Scientific Advisory Committee
on Chemicals (SACC) peer review, EPA will issue a final risk evaluation
for 1,1,2-trichloroethane. Under TSCA section 6, EPA must use the final
risk evaluation as a basis to determine, based on the weight of
scientific evidence, whether the chemical presents an unreasonable risk
to human health or the environment under the chemical's COUs. This
includes risks to subpopulations who may be at greater risks than the
general population, such as children and workers. TSCA prohibits EPA
from considering non-risk factors (e.g., costs/benefits) during risk
evaluation.
For more information about the TSCA risk evaluation process for
existing chemicals, go to https://www.epa.gov/assessing-and-managing-chemicals-under-tsca.
Authority: 15 U.S.C. 2601 et seq.
Dated: July 24, 2026.
Douglas M. Troutman,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution
Prevention.
[FR Doc. 2026-15267 Filed 7-28-26; 8:45 am]
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