SOURCE: NTP
Ban the Toxic Chemical TCE in Manufacturing!
Legislation to ban TCE in New York State has been passed by the NYS legislature. To protect our drinking water and public health from this harmful chemical, Governor Cuomo must sign this important bill into law when it is delivered to his desk! Email Governor Cuomo today.
Background
TCE (trichloroethylene) is an industrial cleaning and degreasing agent used in manufacturing. This chemical is slow to degrade, making it a persistent contaminant in our groundwater. The EPA lists TCE as one of the most widespread groundwater contaminants in our nation and it is an existing and ongoing threat to New York’s water quality and public health. Across New York, communities are suffering the consequences of TCE contamination from industrial use. Groundwater, drinking water wells, and soil have all been contaminated. New York needs to ban this toxic contaminant in manufacturing.
TCE Exposure
Exposure to TCE occurs through air, water, food, and soil. Long-term exposure is strongly linked to various types of cancer, including kidney, liver, lymphoma, testicular, and leukemia. The U.S. Department of Human Health Services classifies TCE as "known to be a human carcinogen" and the EPA characterizes it as "carcinogenic in humans by all routes of exposure." Across New York, industrial use of TCE is putting the public and the environment at risk.
TCE contamination in our groundwater and soil requires extensive remediation, some of which will take decades to complete. Areas with significant TCE contamination in New York include:
Navy Grumman Plume in Bethpage, NY
IBM Facility in Endicott, NY
Roosevelt Field in Garden City, NY (Superfund site)
Little Valley, NY (Superfund Site)
The Hopewell Precision Area Contamination Site in Dutchess County, NY (Superfund site)
Fulton Ave, Garden City Park (Superfund site)
New Cassel Industrial Area (Superfund site)
Old Bethpage Industrial Area (Superfund site)
Smithtown Groundwater Contamination (Superfund site)
The remediation of these sites has been ongoing for as long as 40 years. As we continue to work towards remediation of TCE contamination across New York, we cannot allow industry to continue to use this carcinogenic chemical in their manufacturing processes. Safer alternatives to TCE already exist and are being used by manufacturers across the county. An EPA study found that many manufacturers have successfully reduced the amount of TCE they use or eliminated its use entirely, all while saving money on energy, materials, and hazardous waste disposal services.
Almost a decade ago, the EPA proposed to ban TCE for several industrial uses, but the federal ban has not moved forward. Earlier this year, Minnesota became the first state to prohibit the use of TCE. Now, New York must take action to protect public health and the environment from this carcinogen.
Governor Cuomo Must Sign the Bill Banning Uses of TCE
The New York Senate and Assembly passed legislation (A.8829A/S.6829B) to ban most industrial uses of TCE. The bill would go into effect in December of 2021. It will prohibit the use of TCE as a vapor degreaser, refrigerant, extraction solvent, intermediate chemical, or a cleaning product for manufacturing or industrial cleaning process. Now we need Governor Cuomo to sign the bill into law. Please email Governor Cuomo and urge him to protect our drinking water and public health by signing the ban on TCE into law!
Thank you for taking action!
Sincerely,
Your friends at CCE
