EPA Extends Compliance Dates for Perchloroethylene and Carbon Tetrachloride TSCA Rules
Released March 24, 2026
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is releasing a proposal that would extend certain compliance dates in the final risk management rules for perchloroethylene (PCE) and carbon tetrachloride (CTC) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) while the agency works to revise these rules to ensure they are practical and implementable to protect human health and the environment and maintain uses that power the U.S. economy. The proposed timeline adjustment does not weaken any existing protections and does not change the ultimate level of protection required.
While we will be extending compliance dates through this action, the current deadlines remain effective until modified through this rulemaking. EPA intends to focus its resources on compliance with the new compliance dates that will be established by this rulemaking. However, EPA may take any action necessary to protect human health and the environment. Consistent with the March 12, 2025, memo entitled “Implementing National Enforcement and Compliance Initiatives Consistently with Executive Orders and Agency Priorities,” concurrence from the Assistant Administrator for the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance or his/her delegee shall be sought before any enforcement or compliance assurance actions regarding elements of this rule subject to reconsideration are taken.
PCE is a solvent used in applications such as metal degreasing, and certain manufacturing processes. CTC is a solvent used in commercial settings as a raw material for producing other chemicals like refrigerants, chlorinated compounds, and agricultural products in accordance with the Clean Air Act and Montreal Protocol.
The underlying finding that these chemicals present unreasonable risk is not being revisited. We remain committed to fully implementing TSCA’s mandate to reduce those risks as quickly as we can in a way that will last. This proposal would extend some Workplace Chemical Protection Program compliance dates for non-federal entities that use PCE and CTC to match the compliance dates for federal agencies and their contractors, providing much needed relief for the companies that drive our country’s economy. This action does not impact or diminish any current worker protections that are already in place for these chemicals.
Today’s action responds to stakeholder feedback that these compliance dates are unworkable and helps ensure that companies can implement strong protections effectively without disrupting operations, economic activity, or innovation. When we say some dates are ‘unworkable,’ we mean that, as written, they could lead to rushed, incomplete, or box‑checking compliance, which is not protective in practice. Our goal is to set deadlines that ensure protective controls are installed correctly, maintained, and actually used. Additionally, by aligning compliance timelines where appropriate, EPA is helping to create a level playing field for both federal and non-federal entities subject to the rules’ requirements, ensuring that all facilities operate under comparable expectations as they transition to the new worker protection standards.
Both rules are being challenged in court. Our intention is to ensure that, once in effect, these protections are durable, enforceable, and not easily rolled back in court or by future administrations. We remain committed to reducing exposure to these solvents, and we welcome continued input as we revise and strengthen the rules. Last year, EPA took public comments on these 2024 final rules as a first step to reconsider and revise these rules. The agency intends to publish proposed rules in or around summer 2026 to amend various aspects of those rules.
Upon publication of the Federal Register notice, EPA will accept comments on today's proposal for 30 in docket EPA-HQ-OPPT-2026-0992 on www.regulations.gov.
Learn more about PCE and CTC and read a prepublication version of today’s proposal.