By the SEMA Washington, D.C., office
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced a proposed rule that would ban most uses of a chemical called 1-bromopropane (1-BP) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA). 1-BP is a solvent commonly used in automotive care products such as engine degreasers, brake cleaners, refrigerant flushes and spray adhesives. If your business is affected by the proposed rule on 1-BP, SEMA's Washington, D.C., office urges you to submit your comment by September 9, 2024, here.
The EPA will host a webinar on Wednesday, August 28, at 1:00 p.m. EDT/10 a.m. PDT to provide an overview of the proposed regulation of 1-BP.
According to the webinar notice, the agency is interested in hearing from stakeholders who can provide their perspectives on the implementation timeframes and the feasibility of requirements in their workplaces. If you would like to provide remarks during the webinar, please register by Wednesday, August 21, at 5:00 p.m. EDT/2:00 p.m. PDT, and select "Yes, I plan to attend and provide oral remarks" when registering. You can also register to listen to the webinar, but you must sign up by Wednesday, August 28, at 12:00 p.m. EDT/9:00 a.m. PDT. Click here to register to participate or listen to the webinar.
If finalized as drafted, the proposal would ban all consumer use of products that contain 1-BP except when used in building and construction insulation materials. The ban on consumer use would go into effect within six months after the final rule is published. The proposed rule would also require extensive worker protections for industrial and commercial uses of 1-BP.
The EPA will require any non-federal workplaces that continue using the chemical in industrial or manufacturing settings to implement a Workplace Chemical Protection Program that includes exposure limit monitoring, recordkeeping and educating workers on safety when working with or near the chemical within 12 months of the finalized rule. The proposal would also require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as respirators and chemical-resistant gloves within six months to protect workers from exposure to 1-BP. The agency acknowledges that many workplaces already have stringent safety controls to reduce exposure to 1-BP, and these safety measures may reduce exposure concentration limits proposed in the rulemaking.
The proposed risk management rule is based on the EPA's August 2020 TSCA section 6 risk evaluation, as amended by the December 2022 final revised risk determination for 1-BP.
For more information, please get in touch with Tiffany Cipoletti at tiffanyc@sema.org.