Action Alerts

Polluter allies in Congress want to take a ban on a cancer-causing chemical off the books

What's At Stake

Thanks to pressure from polluting corporations and chemical industry lobbyists, a ban on a highly toxic solvent associated with cancer, fetal heart defects, and Parkinson’s disease could unjustifiably be taken off the books.

Right now, polluter allies in Congress want to pass a resolution that would overturn a ban on trichloroethylene (TCE). Tell Congress to protect our health and reject any attempt to strip away these critical protections. 

Trichloroethylene (TCE) is a dangerous solvent found in stain removers, degreasers, paints, auto brake cleaners, and industrial processes. Its widespread use has contaminated drinking water for millions and lingers in soil and groundwater, despite the known availability of safer alternatives. 

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In late 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a long-overdue ban on TCE, after years of pressure from public health advocates and impacted communities – including through public comments from Earthjustice supporters like you. But just weeks into a new Congressional session, a resolution was introduced that would not only eliminate critical protections against TCE but also limit EPA’s ability to regulate TCE in the future. 

TCE should have been banned decades ago, so there is no reason we should be seeing efforts to remove these protections. Throwing out the TCE ban would expose thousands of families, workers, and entire communities to a cancer-causing chemical. 

This is not a hypothetical threat. TCE is in the water of military bases, schools, and residential neighborhoods. Across the country, families continue to suffer the consequences of prior TCE releases. 

The EPA gave corporations ample time — some up to 50 years — to phase out its uses of TCE. There is no excuse for Congress to consider taking away crucial protections. No profit is worth our lives. Congress must stop the resolution and uphold the TCE ban — no more delays. 

A sign ("Don't drink the water. Contaminated") on a chain link fence warns visitors from a stream contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE) in Fort Edward, N.Y.
A sign warns visitors from a contaminated stream in Fort Edward, N.Y. Trichloroethylene (TCE) was dumped by a nearby factory into the ground. The toxic chemical subsequently entered the underground soil and water aquifers in a plume area underneath homes in the neighborhood. (Robert Nickelsberg / Getty Images)

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