In January 2025, the US EPA was literally days away from having a ban go into effect on the manufacture, import, and domestic use of TCE, with very specific time-based phase out exceptions for critical applications. All general industry use/import would have been banned within 1 year, and 4 specific industrial uses would have been required to test and qualify less harmful alternatives and replace TCE uses on specific time frames. The Trump administration prevented the ban from going into effect, and it has been under judicial review for over a year now. It can’t be fought in court to be put back into effect becaise it was never allowed to in the first place. Absolutely infuriating.

Put it in the damn title.

Trichloroethylene (TCE) has been widely used for more than a century in products and processes ranging from metal degreasing to fabric cleaning and even coffee decaffeination. Its use peaked in the United States in the 1970s, when more than 600 million pounds were produced annually, about two pounds per person.