EPA Proposes Delaying TCE Compliance Dates to End of 2027

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on October 14, 2026, proposed pushing back several compliance deadlines for trichloroethylene under the Toxic Substances Control Act, moving them to December 31, 2027, according to the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy.

The agency said the extensions are meant to ease problems reported by companies that process chemicals and make refrigerants as they work to meet the requirements.

EPA completed the underlying TCE rule on December 17, 2024, and that rule is the subject of pending litigation. The solvent is used largely in industrial and commercial operations, and it also turns up in consumer goods such as cleaning and furniture products, spray coatings sold for crafts, and automotive items including brake cleaners.

The Office of Advocacy, which represents small business interests before federal regulators, filed a comment letter with EPA in 2023 asking the agency to revisit the rule. Advocacy argued at the time that EPA had not adequately accounted for input from small firms, went beyond the authority Congress gave it, and layered requirements on top of rules already in place elsewhere in the federal government.

Comments on the proposed extensions are due by November 13, 2026.

This story was first reported by Office of Advocacy (.gov).