EPA’s consumer ban on methylene chloride falls short

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s final (and long-overdue) ban on methylene chloride—a deadly chemical used in paint strippers—is conspicuously lacking. The rule protects consumers from the products but continues to allow methylene chloride for commercial use, leaving workers at risk. Overwhelming evidence links methylene chloride to cancer. It also can be toxic in the very short term, with exposure leading to heart failure, coma, and even death. Anything short of an outright ban just isn’t enough.

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