Bhalisela incwadana yethu yeendaba ye-imeyile yasimahla, iWatchdog, ukubukela iintatheli ze-public intelligence veki nganye.
Emva kophando lweZiko loBulungisa boLuntu malunga nokufa kwe-methylene chloride okwathatha amashumi eminyaka, i-US Environmental Protection Agency ngo-2019 yavala ukuthengiswa kwee-paint strippers eziqulethe esi sithako kubathengi, kwaye izalamane zamaxhoba kunye nabameli bokhuseleko bayaqhubeka nokuqalisa iphulo loxinzelelo loluntu. I-Environmental Protection Agency ithatha inyathelo.
Bhalisela incwadana yethu yeendaba yeWatchdog yasimahla yeveki nganye ukuze ufumane iindaba zamva nje zokungalingani ezivela kwimibutho yoluntu.
Le manyano ifuna okungakumbi: bathi abasebenzi abakhuselekanga yimiqathango emincinci. Uninzi lwabantu abafa ngenxa yokuvezwa yi-methylene chloride lwenzeka emsebenzini. Izinto zokususa ipeyinti azikho zodwa apho unokuzifumana khona.
Ngoku i-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo icebisa ukuba kuthintelwe ukusetyenziswa kwe-methylene chloride—ezinye iimeko ezingasetyenziswayo zisasebenza, kodwa zimbalwa kakhulu.
“Ndothukile kancinci, uyazi?” Umnakwabo kaBrian Wynn oneminyaka engama-31 ubudala, uDrew, wasweleka ngo-2017 ngelixa wayesusa ipeyinti kwisiqandisi senkampani. Ekuqaleni uWynn wayecinga ukuba isenzo se-EPA sika-2019 nxamnye nabasusi bepeyinti “siya kuba sesona sithuba siphezulu esinokuthi sihambe—sadibana nodonga lwezitena lwabameli abaxhaswa ngemali kunye neCongress abahlawulwa ukuba bayeke abantu abanjalo.” njengathi kwaye baqinisekisa ukuba inzuzo yabo iza kuqala kwaye ikhuselekile.”
Lo mthetho ucetywayo uza kuthintela ukusetyenziswa kwe-methylene chloride kuzo zonke iimveliso zabathengi kunye "noninzi lwezicelo zoshishino nezorhwebo," utshilo i-arhente kwingxelo kwiveki ephelileyo.
I-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo ithe inethemba lokuba lo mthetho uza kuqala ukusebenza ngo-Agasti 2024. Imithetho karhulumente kufuneka idlule kwinkqubo ebekiweyo enika uluntu ithuba lokuphembelela isiphumo sokugqibela.
Le khemikhali, ekwaziwa ngokuba yi-methylene chloride, ifumaneka kwiishelufu ezithengiswayo kwiimveliso ezifana nezicoci ze-aerosol kunye nezicoci zebrashi ezisetyenziswa kwiipeyinti nakwiingubo. Isetyenziswa kwiiglu zorhwebo kunye nezitywini. Abavelisi bayisebenzisa ukwenza ezinye iikhemikhali.
Le arhente ithi ubuncinci abantu abangama-85 basweleke ngenxa yokuchaphazeleka ngokukhawuleza yi-methylene chloride ukusukela ngo-1980, kuquka abasebenzi abafumene uqeqesho lokhuseleko kunye nezixhobo zokuzikhusela.
Elo nani livela kuphando olwenziwe ngo-2021 yi-OSHA kunye neYunivesithi yaseCalifornia, eSan Francisco, olubale inani lokufa ngoku ngokusekelwe kubalo lwangaphambili lwe-Public Integrity. Eli nani phantse lingaphantsi kakhulu kuba enye yeendlela i-methylene chloride ebulala ngayo abantu kukubangela isifo sentliziyo, esibonakala ngathi kukufa okubangelwa zizinto zendalo ngaphandle kokuba umntu uzimisele ukwenza izifundo ze-toxicology.
UNate Bradford Jr. usebenza ukugcina indlela yokuphila yabantu abamnyama kwezolimo. Eli xesha leHeist lichaza umzabalazo wakhe wokusinda ngokuchasene nembali karhulumente yokucalucalulwa kwabalimi abamnyama. Bhalisela ukuze ufumane ulwazi kunye nezaziso ezingasemva kwezehlo xa kukhutshwa iziqephu ezintsha.
Ngokutsho kwe-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo (i-EPA), le khemikhali ikwabangele “imiphumo emibi nempilo yexesha elide” efana nomhlaza kubantu abachaphazeleka yiyo le khemikhali, kodwa hayi kwinqanaba elibulalayo.
“Iingozi ze-methylene chloride ziyaziwa kakuhle,” yabhala le arhente kumthetho ocetywayo.
Uphando lwe-Public Integrity luka-2015 lufumanise ukuba amathuba okungenelela okusindisa ubomi aye alahleka ngokuphindaphindiweyo ukusukela ngeminyaka yoo-1970. Nangona kunjalo, kubekho ukufa okungakumbi emva kokuba i-Environmental Protection Agency iphakamise lo mthetho okokuqala ngoJanuwari 2017, ngasekupheleni kolawulo luka-Obama, kwaye ulawulo lukaTrump lwalibazisa esi siphakamiso de lwaphoqeleka ukuba luthathe inyathelo.
ULiz Hitchcock, umlawuli weSafer Chemicals for Healthier Families, iphulo lomgaqo-nkqubo karhulumente wekamva elingenatyhefu, uphakathi kwabo basebenze iminyaka emininzi ukuphelisa ukubulawa kwabantu okubangelwe yi-methylene chloride. Wamkele isibhengezo sokuvalwa okucetywayo njengo "suku olubalulekileyo".
“Kwakhona, abantu bayafa ngenxa yokusebenzisa ezi khemikhali,” utshilo. “Xa abantu besebenzisa ezi khemikhali, abantu abakufutshane bayagula kwaye abantu banesifo esingapheliyo ngenxa yokusebenzisa ezi khemikhali. Sifuna ukuqinisekisa ukuba sikhusela abantu abaninzi kangangoko kunokwenzeka.”
Kodwa wavuya kakhulu xa eva ukuba i-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo ikholelwa ukuba lo mthetho awusayi kugqitywa kangangeenyanga ezili-15 ezizayo.
ULauren Atkins, unyana wakhe oneminyaka engama-31 ubudala uJoshua owasweleka ngo-2018 emva kokusebenzisa umcu wokupenda ukupenda ibhayisekile yakhe ye-BMX, uxhalabile ukuba ukusetyenziswa kwayo akuyi kuthintelwa. Udandathekile xa ebona le mingxunya kwintengiso.
“Ndaphantse ndaphuma ezihlangwini zam de ndayigqiba yonke incwadi, ndaza ndaziva ndibuhlungu kakhulu,” utshilo u-Atkins. Emva kokusweleka konyana wakhe, injongo yakhe yayikukususa i-methylene chloride kwimarike ukuze ingabulali mntu. “Ndilahlekelwe ngunyana wam, kodwa unyana wam ulahlekelwe yinto yonke.”
I-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo ithe ukusetyenziswa kwale khemikhali kwimveliso yamachiza akugutyungelwanga yi-Toxic Substances Control Act, ngoko ke ayithintelwanga yimigaqo ecetywayo. Le arhente ithe abasebenzi abaqhubeka nokusebenzisa i-methylene chloride kweminye imisebenzi evunyelwe phantsi kwesi siphakamiso baya kukhuselwa yi-"Occupational Chemical Control Programme with Strict Exposure Limits" entsha. I-Methylene chloride inokubulala xa umphunga uqokelelana kwiindawo ezivalekileyo.
Ukusetyenziswa okukhulu kuya kuhlala ngaphakathi kwezi zikhululo, kuquka umsebenzi "obalulekileyo" okanye "obalulekileyo kukhuseleko" owenziwa ngumkhosi, i-NASA, i-Federal Aviation Administration, kunye nabasebenzi bayo; ukusetyenziswa kwiilebhu; I-US kunye neenkampani eziyisebenzisa njenge-reagent okanye eziyivelisa ngeenjongo ezivumelekileyo, itsho i-Environmental Protection Agency.
Ngaphandle kweearhente zikarhulumente, i-methylene chloride ayisafumaneki kwizixhobo zokususa ipeyinti. Le mveliso yimbangela eqhelekileyo yokufa phakathi kwabasebenzi abahlaziya iibhafu ezindala emakhayeni nakwiiflethi.
Kwaye i-methylene chloride ayisayi kuvunyelwa ukuba isetyenziswe ekususeni amafutha ngomphunga kurhwebo nakwimizi-mveliso, ekususeni i-adhesive, ekugqibezeleni amalaphu, kwizinto zokuthambisa ezingamanzi, izinto zokuncamathelisa izinto zokuzonwabisa kunye noluhlu olude lwezinye izinto ezisetyenziswayo.
“Okwangoku, malunga nabantu abangama-845,000 bachatshazelwa yi-methylene chloride kwindawo yokusebenza,” utshilo kwingxelo ye-Environmental Protection Agency. “Phantsi kwesindululo se-EPA, abasebenzi abangaphantsi kwe-10,000 kulindeleke ukuba baqhubeke nokusebenzisa i-methylene chloride baze bangene kwiinkqubo zokukhusela iikhemikhali ezifunekayo kwindawo yokusebenza kwiingozi ezingamkelekanga.”
UGqr. Robert Harrison, uprofesa wezonyango lwezonyango zomsebenzi kunye nokusingqongileyo kwiYunivesithi yaseCalifornia, eSan Francisco, ebesebenza kwi-methylene chloride kangangeminyaka elishumi. Uthe i-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo ilandela esi siphakamiso sokuzama ukulinganisela ukhuseleko kunye neengxaki zoqoqosho kunye nokhuseleko lwesizwe, kwaye ufumanise ukuba umda wokuvalwa uyakhuthaza.
“Ndicinga ukuba olu luloyiso. Olu luloyiso kubasebenzi,” utshilo uHarrison, owayebandakanyeka kuphando luka-2021 malunga nokufa okunxulumene neekhemikhali. “Oku kubeka umzekelo omhle kakhulu wokwenza izigqibo nokumisela imigaqo esekelwe kwisayensi ecacileyo… Kufuneka sizisuse ezi khemikhali zinobungozi sikhethe ezinye iindlela ezikhuselekileyo ezenza ingozi ngaphezu kokulungileyo.”
Usenokucinga ukuba iikhemikhali akufuneki zithengiswe emarikeni ngaphandle kokuba zifunyaniswe zikhuselekile. Kodwa ayinjalo indlela esebenza ngayo inkqubo yaseMelika.
Iinkxalabo malunga nokhuseleko lweekhemikhali zabangela ukuba iCongress ipasise uMthetho woLawulo lweeTyhefu ngo-1976, owawubeka iimfuno ezithile kwiikhemikhali. Kodwa la manyathelo abonwa ngokubanzi njengabuthathaka, nto leyo eshiya i-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo ingenagunya lokwenza uvavanyo olubanzi lokhuseleko. I-Federal Inventory, eyapapashwa ngo-1982, idwelisa malunga neekhemikhali ezingama-62,000, kwaye elo nani liyaqhubeka likhula.
Ngowama-2016, iCongress yalungisa i-TSCA ukuze igunyazise i-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo ukuba yenze uvavanyo lomngcipheko weekhemikhali. I-Methylene chloride yayiyeyona ngxaki yokuqala eyajongwa yi-arhente.
“Yiyo loo nto sizama ukuguqula i-TSCA,” utshilo uHitchcock, owabelana nophando lwe-public intelligence kunye neeofisi zeCongress ngelo xesha njengemizekelo ephambili yokungenzi nto okubulalayo.
Inyathelo elilandelayo ekuthintelweni kwe-methylene chloride ecetywayo liza kuba lixesha leentsuku ezingama-60 zokuphawula uluntu. Abantu baya kukwazi ukuveza izimvo zabo kwi-ajenda ye-EPA, kwaye abaxhasi bokhuseleko bayahlangana malunga nalo mba.
“Eli linyathelo elikhulu eliya phambili kwimpilo yoluntu, kodwa alikho ngaphandle kweengxaki zalo,” utshilo uHitchcock. Wayefuna ukubona izimvo “ezibiza i-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo ukuba yamkele imithetho eqinileyo kangangoko kunokwenzeka.”
UHarrison wakha wathi ukulawulwa kweekhemikhali eMelika kuhambe kancinci kakhulu de kwaqala ukugqitha iiqhwa. Kodwa ubona inkqubela phambili ukusukela kwizilungiso ze-TSCA zika-2016. Umthetho omtsha kwi-methylene chloride umnika ithemba.
“Zininzi ezinye iikhemikhali ezinokulandela isigqibo saseMelika malunga ne-methylene chloride,” utshilo.
I-Public Integrity ayinawo udonga lokuhlawula kwaye ayamkeli intengiso ngoko ke ubuntatheli bethu bophando bunokuba nefuthe elikhulu ekusombululeni ukungalingani eMelika. Umsebenzi wethu unokwenzeka ngenxa yenkxaso yabantu abanjengani.
UJamie Smith Hopkins ngumhleli kunye nentatheli ephezulu yeZiko loBulungisa boLuntu. Umsebenzi wakhe uquka neminye imisebenzi kaJamie Smith Hopkins.
I-Center for Public Integrity yintlangano yeendaba eziphandayo ezingenzi nzuzo egxile ekungalingani eMelika. Asizamkeli iintengiso okanye sihlawulise abantu ukuba bafunde umsebenzi wethu.
       Oku kubhaliweyabonakala okokuqala kwiIziko loBulungisa boLuntukwaye yapapashwa kwakhona phantsi kwelayisenisi yeCreative Commons.