Trichloroethylene (TCE); Regulation Under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA); Compliance Date Extensions

publication of the 2024 TCE Final Rule, EPA was made aware of a previously unidentified use of TCE as a processing aid in the manufacture of nuclear fuel and promulgated an interim final rule in September of 2025 to amend the prohibition compliance deadlines until September 15, 2028, to provide a reasonable transition period for that use (Ref. 2). EPA additionally extended the deadlines for disposal of TCE to wastewater for processors of TCE as a reactant/intermediate and certain processors and industrial and commercial users of TCE as a processing aid to December 18, 2026, to match the prohibition compliance date for these processing conditions of use. EPA received three TSCA section 21 petitions concerning the 2024 TCE Final Rule: from American Chemistry Council (ACC) on May 29, 2025 (withdrawn September 19, 2025) (Refs. 3 and 8); from PPG Industries, Inc. on March 24, 2025 (withdrawn June 11, 2025) (Refs. 4 and 9); and from the Alliance for a Strong U.S. Battery Sector and Microporous on April 30, 2025 (withdrawn July 25, 2025) (Refs. 5 and 10). While these petitions were withdrawn, EPA recognizes the potential merits of certain requests contained in these petitions and is planning to address them in amendments to the rule through a future notice-and- comment rulemaking. After issuing the TCE Final Rule, EPA received petitions for review that were consolidated in the U.S. Co