EPA flags sneaky poison ethylene dibromide for scrutiny.
Published Date: 8/19/2026
Notice
Summary
The EPA just released a draft report on ethylene dibromide, a chemical that might be risky to people and the environment. If you work with or live near this chemical, this could affect you! The EPA wants your thoughts by October 19, 2026, before deciding on any safety rules that might change how this chemical is used or cost businesses money.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.
Preliminary finding: ethylene dibromide risk
EPA's draft risk evaluation preliminarily determined that ethylene dibromide "does pose unreasonable risk" to human health under certain conditions of use. The draft assesses risks to workers, occupational non-users, consumers, the general population (including fenceline communities and potentially exposed susceptible subpopulations), and to aquatic and terrestrial species. You may submit comments on the draft by October 19, 2026.
EPA requests facility and exposure data
EPA is asking companies, laboratories, and facilities to provide facility-specific and exposure data to inform the draft evaluation — for example, days/hours of operation, exposure monitoring, PPE used, number of aircraft refueled per typical 8-hour day, average refueling duration and volume, and racing fuel use patterns. Comments and data are requested by October 19, 2026.
Final evaluation will not consider costs
Under TSCA, EPA will issue a final risk evaluation for ethylene dibromide and must base the determination of whether the chemical presents an unreasonable risk only on the weight of scientific evidence and risk factors — EPA is prohibited from considering non-risk factors such as costs or benefits during the risk evaluation. The final evaluation will follow public comment and SACC peer review.
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