The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed a ban on Trichloroethylene (TCE), a cancer-causing chemical linked to birth defects, reproductive issues, and a series of childhood leukemia cases diagnosed between 1969 and 1986 in Woburn according to Boston Globe. This decision comes years after the Woburn leukemia case profiled both in the impactful book and movie, "A Civil Action".
At a press conference situated in Woburn, Michal Freedhoff, EPA's assistant administrator from the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, highlighted the necessity of halting the toxic legacy of TCE. In unison, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Markey, who has been a significant player in the push to ban TCE, expressed the intended ban is going to stop the manufacturing, processing, and distribution of this hazardous chemical as reported by Boston.com.
This potential ban is the conclusion to a long, historical fight against TCE. It is a battle that began with Anne Anderson, a Woburn resident whose son unfortunately succumbed to leukemia in 1981. She subsequently founded the For A Cleaner Environment group and advocated for research on health implications of TCE, says the Boston Globe.
Such efforts, combined with the actions of organizations like the EPA, led to the establishment of the 1980 Superfund law. Designed to aid the cleanup of toxic waste sites including those in Woburn, this garnered the praise of EPA deputy administrator Janet McCabe. She noted that the law managed to turn "blighted, useless, poisonous landscapes" into reclaimed spaces during a press conference as per the Boston Globe.
The ongoing presence of TCE in various industrial and consumer products, ranging from cleaning materials to aerosols and refrigerants, is a pervasive issue. It has been outlawed in Europe, New York, and Minnesota. If approved, the proposed ban would radically reduce exposure to TCE for most workers and consumers according to the Boston Globe.
However, the proposed ban embodies a shift in attitudes towards greater understanding for improved chemical safety legislation. This is seen within the greater awareness of the hazards of toxic chemicals and their impact on human health. Dr. David Savitz, an Epidemiology Professor at Brown University School of Public Health, noted that while there have been significant advancements in minimizing exposure to toxic chemicals, there is still much work to be done as reported by the Boston Globe.
Another public health advocate, Jeff Griffiths from Tufts University School of Medicine, echoed these sentiments. Adding that additional efforts are needed to address the impacts of TCE in groundwater, particularly since the issue remains for hundreds of communities as the Boston Globe noted.
