Summary
The EPA has banned TCE and perc, toxic chemicals linked to cancer, liver and kidney damage, and other severe health issues.
Widely used in dry cleaning, degreasers, and consumer products, these substances have contaminated groundwater and air, particularly near military bases.
The ban, which reverses Trump-era rollbacks and surpasses Obama-era proposals, has been welcomed by public health advocates but opposed by industry groups.
The four-year timeline to undo the ban makes it difficult for the incoming Trump administration to reverse, despite its intent to loosen chemical regulations.
Good job waiting until the last fucking minute. Now reversing this decision will be extremely simple because the new rule barely had time to take effect.
This is a PR move.
Why are so many departments suddenly doing shit that should have been done years ago?
Because both our political parties are pieces of shit (not equally shitty - one is clearly shittier) and neither one is motivated to actually improve the life of most Americans.
I know, I was asking more out of exasperation. And you’re absolutely correct.
The rulemaking process has tons of mandatory waiting periods for feedback. If they didn’t follow them to a T, some Trump judge will have an easy time reversing it.
They can just make up whatever justification to reverse it anyway.
These chemicals where created after the Constitution was written. Therefore my originalist reading says we cannot ban them since our forefathers did not.
Probably because studies and rule crafting to avoid rule conflicts and legal disputes take time.
So Democrats can point to deregulations for donations and votes.
Am I supposed to believe that? They can just break the law. They control the Court.
The point of doing this years ago would be to get people used to the ban, so it’d already be locked in by inertia. Companies would have already made the shift and the public would be used to these protections.
This is politics, not bureaucracy.
I wanted to reply and add on to the other comments about the generalized horsefuckery of politics before rulemaking, but everyone hit the bases real well!