I-Toxic-Free Future izibophelele ekukhuthazeni ukusetyenziswa kweemveliso ezikhuselekileyo, iikhemikhali kunye neendlela zokwenza izinto ukuze kubekho ikamva elisempilweni ngophando oluphambili, ukuxhasa, ukulungelelanisa abantu abaqhelekileyo kunye nokubandakanya abathengi.
Ukususela ngeminyaka yoo-1980, ukuchanabeka kwi-methylene chloride kubulale uninzi lwabathengi kunye nabasebenzi. Ikhemikhali esetyenziswa kwi-paint thinners nakwezinye iimveliso inokubangela ukufa ngoko nangoko ngenxa yokufutha umoya kunye nesifo sentliziyo, kwaye ikwanxulunyaniswa nomhlaza kunye nokuphazamiseka kwengqondo.
Isibhengezo se-EPA kwiveki ephelileyo sokuthintela ukusetyenziswa kwe-methylene chloride sisinika ithemba lokuba akukho mntu uza kufa ngenxa yale khemikhali ibulalayo.
Lo mthetho ucetywayo uza kuthintela ukusetyenziswa kweekhemikhali ngabathengi, kunye nokusetyenziswa okuninzi kwemizi-mveliso kunye norhwebo, kubandakanya izinto zokususa iigrisi, izinto zokususa amabala, izinto zokususa ipeyinti okanye i-coating, kunye nokunye.
Ikwabandakanya ukukhululwa kwexesha elithile kwiimfuno zokhuseleko kwindawo yokusebenza kunye nokukhululwa okuphawulekayo kwiSebe lezoKhuselo, i-Federal Aviation Administration, iSebe lezoKhuseleko lwaseKhaya, kunye ne-NASA. Ngaphandle koko, i-EPA ibonelela "ngeenkqubo zokukhusela iikhemikhali kwindawo yokusebenza ezinemida engqongqo yokubonakalisa ukhuseleko lwabasebenzi." Ngokukodwa, lo mthetho ugcina iikhemikhali ezinobungozi kakhulu zingangeni kwiishelufu zeevenkile nakwiindawo ezininzi zokusebenza.
Akuyonto incinci ukuthi umthetho othintela i-methylene chloride ngokuqinisekileyo awuyi kumiselwa phantsi koMthetho woLawulo lweeTyhefu (i-TSCA) ka-1976, apho intlangano yethu ibisebenza nzima ukuwuguqula kangangeminyaka.
Isantya sesenzo sikarhulumente kwiziyobisi ezinobungozi sisaqhubeka sicotha ngendlela engamkelekanga. Akuzange kuncede ukuba iinkokeli ze-EPA zithathe isigqibo sokungavumelani nomthetho ngoJanuwari 2017, kanye njengoko uhlengahlengiso lwe-TSCA luqale ukusebenza. Sele kudlule phantse iminyaka esixhenxe ukusukela oko imithetho ehlaziyiweyo yasayinwa yaba ngumthetho, kwaye eli linyathelo lesibini kuphela elicetyisiweyo yi-EPA ngokuchasene neekhemikhali "ezikhoyo" eziphantsi kolawulo lwayo.
Eli linyathelo elibalulekileyo ekukhuseleni impilo yoluntu kwiikhemikhali ezinobungozi. Ixesha lokusebenza ukuza kuthi ga ngoku libonisa iminyaka yomsebenzi obalulekileyo ofunekayo ukufezekisa le njongo.
Akumangalisi ukuba i-dichloromethane ikuluhlu lweekhemikhali “ezilishumi eziphambili” ze-EPA ekufuneka zihlolwe kwaye zilawulwe phantsi kwe-TSCA ehlaziyiweyo. Ngo-1976, abantu abathathu bafa ngenxa yokuchatshazelwa yikhemikhali ngokukhawuleza, nto leyo eyakhokelela kwizicelo ze-Environmental Protection Agency zokuba kuthintelwe ukusetyenziswa kwayo kwizixhobo zokususa ipeyinti.
Ngaphambi kowama-2016, i-EPA yayisele inobungqina obucacileyo beengozi zale khemikhali—ngokwenene, ubungqina obukhoyo babangela ukuba umphathi welo xesha uGina McCarthy asebenzise amandla e-EPA phantsi kwe-TSCA ehlaziyiweyo ukuze acebise ukuba kuthintelwe ukusetyenziswa kwabathengi kunye nendawo yokusebenza.
Amaqabane ethu alwela amalungelo oluntu kunye namaqabane omanyano avuya kakhulu ukwabelana ngengxelo ezininzi kwezingamashumi amawaka ezifunyenwe yi-EPA ezixhasa ukuvalwa kwelizwe. Amaqabane karhulumente avuya kakhulu ukujoyina nathi kwiphulo lethu lokuqinisekisa abathengisi abanjengoLowe's kunye neHome Depot ukuba bayeke ukuthengisa ezi mveliso ngaphambi kokuba ukuvalwa kwelizwe kugqitywe.
Ngelishwa, i-EPA, ekhokelwa nguScott Pruitt, ithintele zombini ezi mithetho kwaye yanciphisa intshukumo kuvavanyo olubanzi lweekhemikhali.
Zicaphukile kukungasebenzi kwe-EPA, iintsapho zabantu abaselula abasweleke ngenxa yezi mveliso zaya eWashington, zadibana namagosa e-EPA kunye namalungu eCongress, zaza zafunda ngobuntu ngeengozi zokwenyani ze-methylene chloride. Abanye babo baye bajoyina thina kunye namaqabane ethu omanyano ekumangaleleni i-EPA ngokhuseleko olongezelelweyo.
Ngowama-2019, xa uKomishinala we-EPA uAndrew Wheeler wabhengeza ukuvalwa kokuthengiswa kwabathengi, saphawula ukuba esi senzo, nangona samkelekile, sisabenzakalisa abasebenzi.
Oomama bamaxhoba amabini kunye namaqabane ethu e-PIRG eVermont bajoyine nathi ekufakeni ityala kwinkundla yombuso becela i-EPA ukuba inike abathengi ukhuseleko olufanayo nolwabasebenzi. (Ngenxa yokuba ityala lethu alilodwa, inkundla ijoyine izicelo ezivela kwi-NRDC, i-Latin American Progressive Labor Council, kunye ne-Halogenated Solvent Manufacturers Association. Eli tyala lokugqibela liphikisane ngelithi i-EPA ayifanele ithintele ukusetyenziswa kwabathengi.) Nangona sonwabile kukuba ijaji lala isicelo seqela lezorhwebo kushishino sokurhoxisa umthetho wokukhuselwa kwabathengi, sonwabile kakhulu kukuba ukusilela kwenkundla ngo-2021 ukufuna i-EPA ukuba ithintele ukusetyenziswa kwezorhwebo kwabeka abasebenzi kule khemikhali inobungozi.
Njengoko i-EPA iqhubeka nokuvavanya iingozi ezinxulumene ne-methylene chloride, siyaqhubeka nokukhuthaza ukukhuselwa kwazo zonke iindlela ezisetyenziswa ngayo le khemikhali. Xa i-EPA ikhupha uvavanyo lwayo lomngcipheko ngo-2020, yafumanisa ukuba iindlela ezingama-47 kwezingama-53 zokusetyenziswa “ziyingozi ngokungenangqiqo.” Okukhuthaza nangakumbi kukuba, urhulumente omtsha uphinde wahlola ukuba i-PPE akufuneki ithathwe njengendlela yokukhusela abasebenzi waza wafumanisa ukuba zonke ezinye iindlela ezingama-53 zokusetyenziswa ngaphandle kwenye zazingumngcipheko ongenangqondo.
Sidibene amaxesha amaninzi namagosa e-EPA kunye ne-White House aphuhlise uvavanyo lomngcipheko kunye nemithetho yokugqibela, anike iingqwalasela kwiKomiti yeeNgcebiso zeSayensi ye-EPA, kwaye axelela amabali abo bangazange bakwazi ukuya.
Asikagqibi okwangoku – xa umthetho upapashwe kwiRejista yeSizwe, kuya kubakho ixesha leentsuku ezingama-60 zokuphawula, emva koko ii-arhente zikarhulumente ziya kuhlaziya ezo zimvo ngokulandelelana koonobumba ngaphambi kokuba ziqale ukusebenza ekugqibeleni.
Sibongoza i-EPA ukuba ikhuphe ngokukhawuleza umthetho oqinileyo okhusela bonke abasebenzi, abathengi, kunye noluntu ukuze bakwazi ukwenza imisebenzi yabo. Nceda uqinisekise ukuba ilizwi lakho liyavakala ngesicelo sethu esikwi-intanethi ngexesha lokuphawula.