EPA to ban methylene chloride in paint strippers

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to finalize an Obama-era proposal to ban the use of methylene chloride in consumer and commercial paint strippers. The move, announced on May 10, follows a visit with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt by families of men whose deaths were linked to methylene chloride in paint-removing products purchased at home improvement stores. EPA proposed the ban in the final days of the Obama administration, but by December 2017, the agency had relegated the rule to its list of “long-term actions,” giving no indication about when the rule would be finalized. EPA now says that it intends to finalize the rule “shortly.” Exposure to methylene chloride, also known as dichloromethane, has been associated with a higher risk of cancer and neurological and liver problems in workers, according to a 2014 assessment conducted by EPA. It also found that consumers who use methylene chloride paint strippers face