Nationwide ban on toxic chemical TCE in place, 5 years after Minnesota became first state to outlaw it
The nationwide ban on a toxic cancer-causing chemical, once on hold, has moved forward to protect people around the country. Minnesota paved the way for the ban on TCE.
WCCO first told you about the dangers of TCE nearly six years ago. That's when the White Bear Township community learned a manufacturing plant emitted unsafe levels of the chemical into the air.
The pollution went on for more than 15 years, exposing people who lived nearby.
Sheri Smith and Leigh Thiel are two of the founders of the Neighborhood Concerned Citizens Group in White Bear Township.
"It is a horrid, carcinogenic, toxic chemical that should have been outlawed a long time ago," Smith said.
The group formed after learning about the now-defunct Water Gremlin — a manufacturing plant in their neighborhood — which emitted elevated and unsafe levels of TCE into the air for more than 15 years.
"For me, it started really at the hands of a really bad actor. When you look at what Water Gremlin did, and the amount of TCE that they emitted into the air, into our community, for the amount of time that they did, it was horrific," Thiel said.
Their group led the charge to ban the cancer-causing chemical in the state. People living with cancer and chronic illness joined them, vocalizing the dangers of TCE, and they worked with lawmakers to get the job done
In 2020, Minnesota legislators voted to pass the ban on TCE. The governor signed it into law, making Minnesota the first state to enact a ban on the chemical often used as a degreaser.
Earlier this year, former Rep. Ami Wazlawik shared how the work done here created momentum for a federal ban.
"We knew what the conversation was around the chemical. We had done that work in Minnesota, and it was nice to see a reflection, sort of like the work that we started here in Minnesota, on the federal level, where it can be a lot more of an onerous process to get something done with chemical regulation. It was nice to sort of see our effort as a starting point for the efforts on the federal level to get us to where the EPA said, you know, we want to do this on the federal level and make sure everyone's protected," Wazlawik said.
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule to manage the risks of TCE and to protect public health in late 2024. It was paused at the beginning of the year to go through a review with the new administration. Now it's on track — banned in most uses across the country — with dates set to phase out its use. The EPA says a limited number of uses will be phased out over a longer period.
"Across the United States, there's so many different communities that have been impacted by the use of TCE. So many different stories, so many horrific stories, and to know that that chapter can start to come to a close is really good," Thiel said.
"Bravo that we were the first, and the rest of the nation is following," Smith said.
The EPA told WCCO everything in the rule is now in effect, with the exception of one area. Compliance dates have been extended for the use of TCE, aiding in the manufacturing of nuclear fuel. Companies are expected to have until 2028 to comply.