I-Toxic-Free Future izinikele ekudaleni ikamva elisempilweni ngokukhuthaza ukusetyenziswa kweemveliso, iikhemikhali kunye neendlela ezikhuselekileyo ngophando oluphambili, ukuxhasa, ukuhlanganisana kwabantu abaninzi kunye nokubandakanyeka kwabathengi.
Ukususela ngeminyaka yoo-1980, ukuchanabeka kwi-methylene chloride kuye kwanxulunyaniswa nokufa kwabathengi abaninzi kunye nabasebenzi. Yikhemikhali esetyenziswa kwi-paint thinners nakwezinye iimveliso ebangela ukufa ngoko nangoko ngenxa yokufutha umoya kunye nokuhlaselwa yintliziyo, kwaye inxulunyaniswe 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 naluphi na ukusetyenziswa kwale khemikhali ngabathengi kunye nooninzi kwimizi-mveliso nakwezorhwebo, kuquka izinto zokususa iigreyitha, izinto zokususa amabala, kunye nezinto zokususa ipeyinti okanye i-coating, phakathi kwezinye.
Ikwabandakanya neemfuno zokhuseleko kwindawo yokusebenza zeemvume zokusetyenziswa okubalulekileyo ezinqunyelwe ixesha kunye nokukhululwa okuphawulekayo kwiSebe lezoKhuselo lase-US, i-Federal Aviation Administration, iSebe lezoKhuseleko lwaseKhaya, kunye ne-NASA. Ngaphandle koko, i-EPA ibonelela "ngeenkqubo zokukhusela iikhemikhali kwindawo yokusebenza ezinemida engqongqo yokuvezwa ukuze kukhuselwe ngcono abasebenzi." Oko kukuthi, lo mthetho ususa iikhemikhali ezinobungozi kakhulu kwiishelufu zeevenkile nakwiindawo ezininzi zokusebenza.
Kwanele ukuthi ukuvinjelwa kwe-dichloromethane ngokuqinisekileyo bekungeke kwenzeke phantsi koMthetho woLawulo lweZinto ezinobungozi (i-TSCA) ka-1976, utshintsho oluye lwasebenza kulo iqumrhu lethu kangangeminyaka, olungengomsebenzi umncinci.
Isantya sesenzo sikarhulumente kwiziyobisi ezinobungozi sisaqhubeka sicotha ngendlela engamkelekanga. Akuzange kuncede ukuba ngoJanuwari 2017, xa utshintsho lwe-TSCA lwaqala ukusebenza, iinkokeli ze-EPA zathatha ukuma okuchasene nomthetho. Ngoko ke nantsi, phantse iminyaka esixhenxe emva kokuba imithetho ehlaziyiweyo isayiniwe, kwaye eli lixesha lesibini kuphela i-EPA icebise isenzo nxamnye neekhemikhali "ezikhoyo" phantsi kwegunya layo.
Eli linyathelo elibalulekileyo ekukhuseleni impilo yoluntu kwiikhemikhali ezinobungozi. Ixesha lokusebenza ukuza kuthi ga ngoku libonisa iminyaka yomsebenzi obalulekileyo ekufuneka wenziwe ukuze kufikelelwe kweli nqanaba.
Akumangalisi ukuba i-methylene chloride ikuluhlu lweekhemikhali ze-EPA ezivavanyiweyo nezilawulwa yi-TSCA ehlaziyiweyo. Ngo-1976, abantu abathathu bafa ngenxa yokuchatshazelwa ngokukhawuleza yile khemikhali, nto leyo eyabangela ukuba i-EPA ithintele ukusetyenziswa kwayo kwizixhobo zokususa ipeyinti.
I-EPA yayisele inobungqina obuninzi beengozi zale khemikhali kudala ngaphambi kowama-2016 - eneneni, ubungqina obukhoyo babangela ukuba umphathi welo xesha uGina McCarthy asebenzise amandla e-EPA phantsi kwe-TSCA ehlaziyiweyo ngokucebisa ukuba ekupheleni kuka-2016 iindlela zokususa iipeyinti kunye neengubo ezine-methylene chloride zivaliwe kubathengi nakwiindawo zokusebenza.
Amaqabane ethu alwela amalungelo oluntu kunye namaqabane omanyano avuya kakhulu ukwabelana ngengxelo ezininzi kwezingamashumi amawaka ezifunyenwe yi-EPA ezixhasa ukuvalwa kwelizwe. Amaqabane kazwelonke avuya kakhulu ukujoyina iphulo lethu lokuqinisekisa abathengisi abafana noLowe's kunye neThe Home Depot ukuba bayeke ukuthengisa ezi mveliso ngaphambi kokuba ukuvalwa kwelizwe kusebenze ngokupheleleyo.
Ngelishwa, i-Arhente yoKhuseleko lweNdalo, ekhokelwa nguScott Pruitt, iyirhoxisile imithetho kwaye yalibazisa inyathelo kuvavanyo olubanzi lweekhemikhali.
Zicaphukile kukungasebenzi kwe-EPA, iintsapho zabantu abaselula abasweleke ngenxa yokutya ezo mveliso zaya eWashington ukuya kudibana namagosa e-EPA kunye namalungu eCongress ukufundisa abantu ngeengozi zokwenyani ze-methylene chloride. Abanye babo bajoyine thina kunye namaqabane ethu omanyano ekumangaleleni i-EPA ngokhuseleko olongezelelweyo.
Ngowama-2019, xa uMlawuli we-EPA u-Andrew Wheeler wabhengeza ukuvalwa kokuthengiswa kwabathengi, saphawula ukuba nangona eli nyathelo lalithandwa, lisabeka abasebenzi emngciphekweni.
Umama wabantu ababini abaselula abasweleke kunye namaqabane ethu eVermont PIRG bajoyine nathi kwityala lenkundla yombuso befuna ukhuseleko olufanayo kubasebenzi olubonelelwa yi-EPA kubathengi. (Ngenxa yokuba ityala lethu alilodwa, inkundla ijoyine izicelo ezivela kwi-NRDC, iBhunga leMisebenzi laseLatin America, kunye ne-Halogenated Solvent Manufacturers Association. Eli lokugqibela lithi i-EPA ayifanele ithintele ukusetyenziswa kwabathengi.) Ngelixa ijaji lala isindululo seqela lezorhwebo loshishino lokususa umthetho wokukhuselwa kwabathengi, siphoxekile kakhulu kukuba ngo-2021 inkundla yala ukufuna i-EPA ukuba ithintele ukusetyenziswa kwezorhwebo okwabeka abasebenzi kule khemikhali inobungozi.
Njengoko i-EPA iqhubeka nokuvavanya iingozi ezinxulumene ne-methylene chloride, siyaqhubeka nokukhuthaza ukukhuselwa kwazo zonke iindlela ezisetyenziswa ngayo le khemikhali. Kwakuthuthuzela kancinci xa i-EPA ikhupha uvavanyo lwayo lomngcipheko ngo-2020 yaza yafumanisa ukuba izicelo ezingama-47 kwezingama-53 zazibeka “umngcipheko ongengowokuqikelelwa.” Okukhuthaza nangakumbi kukuba, urhulumente omtsha uphinde wahlola ukuba i-PPE akufuneki ithathwe njengendlela yokukhusela abasebenzi, waza wafumanisa ukuba zonke ngaphandle kweyodwa kwezingama-53 ezisetyenziswe yiyo zazimela umngcipheko ongengowokuqikelelwa.
Siye sadibana kaninzi namagosa e-EPA kunye ne-White House aphuhlise uvavanyo lomngcipheko kunye nemigaqo-nkqubo, sanikela ubungqina obubalulekileyo kwiKomiti yeeNgcebiso zeSayensi ye-EPA, saza sabalisa amabali abantu ababengenakuba lapho.
Asikagqibi okwangoku – xa umthetho upapashwe kwiRejista yeSizwe, kuya kubakho ixesha leentsuku ezingama-60 lokuphawula, emva koko ii-arhente zikarhulumente ziya kuhlalutya izimvo ngaphambi kokuba zibe yinguqulelo yokugqibela.
Sikhuthaza i-EPA ukuba yenze umsebenzi ngokukhawuleza ngokukhupha umthetho oqinileyo okhusela bonke abasebenzi, abathengi kunye noluntu. Nceda unike uluvo lwakho ngelixa uphawula ngesicelo sethu esikwi-intanethi.