Biden’s EPA Bans TCE and Perc: Protecting Lives Over Profit

The EPA’s recent decision to ban trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (Perc) marks a significant victory for the overall health of the public.

TCE, found in cleaners and glues, is a known carcinogen linked to liver and kidney cancer. Perc was widely used in dry cleaning as well as automotive care products and causes organ damage and cancer.

These chemicals have devastated communities like Tucson, Arizona, where significant TCE contamination has led to severe illnesses and deaths. Despite the availability of safer alternatives, these toxic substances have remained in widespread use for decades.

This ban, enacted under the updated Toxic Substances Control Act, is long overdue. Yet, industry groups continue to push back, arguing that transitioning to alternatives would create economic burdens. Such resistance ignores the human toll of exposure to these chemicals, which disproportionately affects vulnerable communities.

The argument for profit over people is as unacceptable here as it is in any other industry where lives are at stake. The EPA’s move highlights the critical need for strong regulatory oversight to protect public health. However, the effectiveness of these bans will depend on strict enforcement and resistance to political interference that could weaken or reverse these protections.

This decision is a step forward, but it also underscores how long industries have been allowed to profit at the expense of others’ lives. Whether it be addressing toxic chemicals that are killing innocent people or addressing systemic neglect in nursing homes, protecting the vulnerable should always take precedence over profit