Zitlolisele incwadi yethu yeendaba ye-imeyili yamahhala, i-Watchdog, ukubuka kwaqobe veke kwababiki beentatheli zesithunzi somphakathi.
Ngemva kophenyo lwe-Center for Public Integrity malungana nokuhlongakala kwe-methylene chloride okuthatha iminyaka ematjhumi, i-Environmental Protection Agency ye-US ngo-2019 yavimbela ukuthengiswa kweenhluthu zepende eziqukethe isithako kubathengi, begodu iinhlobo zabantu abahlukunyeziweko nabasekeli bokuphepha baragela phambili nokuthoma umkhankaso wokugandelela umphakathi. I-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko ithatha amagadango.
Zitlolisele incwadi yethu yamahhala ye-Watchdog ukuze uthole iindaba zakamuva zokungalingani ezivela eenhlanganweni zomphakathi.
Ihlanganisela ifuna okunengi: abasebenzi, bathi, abavikelwe ziinqabo ezincani. Inengi lokuhlongakala ngebanga lokuvezwa kwe-methylene chloride kwenzeka emsebenzini. Iinsetjenziswa zokususa upende akusizo zodwa imikhiqizo lapho ungazithola khona.
Nje i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko iphakamisa ukukhandela ukusetjenziswa kwe-methylene chloride—okunye okuhlukileko kusasebenza, kodwana kumbalwa khulu.
“Ngithukiwe kancani, uyazi?” Umfowabo ka-Brian Wynn oneminyaka ema-31, u-Drew, wahlongakala ngo-2017 ngesikhathi asusa ipende esiqandisini senkampani. U-Wynn ekuthomeni bekacabanga bona isenzo se-EPA sango-2019 malungana nabahluphi bepende "besingaba kude khulu esingakghona ukukwenza—sahlangabezana nodonga lwezitina lwabantu abasekelwa ngemali kanye ne-Congress ebegade ibhadelwe ukukhandela abantu abanje." njengathi begodu benza isiqiniseko sokuthi inzuzo yabo iza phambili nokuphepha.” “
Umthetho ophakanyisiweko uzakukhandela ukusetjenziswa kwe-methylene chloride kiyo yoke imikhiqizo yabathengi kanye "neensetjenziswa ezinengi zebubulo nezokurhweba," kutsho i-ejensi esitatimendeni ngeveke ephelileko.
I-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko ithe inethemba lokuthi umthetho lo uzakuthoma ukusebenza ngoRhoboyi wee-2024. Imithetho yomBuso kufanele idlule ngendlela ebekiweko enikela umphakathi ithuba lokuthonya umphumela wokugcina.
Ikhemikhali le, eyaziwa nangokuthi yi-methylene chloride, itholakala emashelufini wokuthengisa emikhiqizweni efana nama-aerosol degreasers kanye nama-brush cleaners asetjenziselwa amapende nama-coating. Isetjenziselwa ukunamathela kwezokurhweba kanye nokuvala. Abakhiqizi bayisebenzisa ukwenza amanye amakhemikhali.
I-ejensi ithe okungenani abantu abama-85 bahlongakele ngokuvezwa msinyana ku-methylene chloride kusukela ngo-1980, okufakahlangana abasebenzi abafumene ukubandulwa kokuphepha kanye nemitjhini yokuzivikela.
Inani lelo livela esifundweni sango-2021 esenziwa yi-OSHA ne-University of California, e-San Francisco, eyabala inani lokuhlongakala kwamanje ngokuya ngeembalo ze-Public Integrity zangaphambilini. Inani leli lingaba lithathelwa phasi ngombana enye yeendlela i-methylene chloride ebulala ngayo abantu kukubangela amalwelwe weenhliziyo, okuthi umuntu obukeleko abonakale njengokufa okubangelwa ziimbangela zemvelo ngaphandle kobana umuntu azimisele ukwenza iimfundo ze-toxicology.
U-Nate Bradford Jr. usebenzela ukubulunga iindlela zokuphila zezokulima zabantu abanzima. Isizini le ye-Heist ilandisa ipi yakhe yokusinda ngokujamelana nomlando karhulumende wokubandlulula abalimi abanzima. Zitlolisele ukuze ufumane ilwazi langemuva nezaziso lokha nakukhutjhwa iinqephu ezitjha.
Ngokuya kwe-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko (i-EPA), ikhemikhali le godu ibangele "imiphumela emimbi neyesikhathi eside yezamaphilo" efana nomdlavuza ebantwini abavezwe yikhemikhali, kodwana ingasi emazingeni wokubulala.
"Ubungozi be-methylene chloride buyaziwa," kutlola i-ejensi emthethweni ophakanyisiweko.
Irhubhululo le-2015 le-Public Integrity lathola bona amathuba wokungenelela okusindisa ipilo bekasolo alahlekelwa kusukela ngeminyaka yabo-1970. Kodwana, ukuhlongakala okunengi kwenzeka ngemva kobana i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko iphakamise umthetho lo ngoTjhirhweni 2017, ekupheleni kombuso ka-Obama, begodu umbuso ka-Trump walibazisa isiphakamiso bekwaba kulapho uphoqeleka bona uthathe igadango.
U-Liz Hitchcock, umnqophisi we-Safer Chemicals for Healthier Families, isinyathelo somthethomgomo wefederali wekusasa elingenabuthi, ungomunye walabo abasebenze iminyaka eminengi ukuqeda ukubulawa kwabantu okubangelwa yi-methylene chloride. Wamukele isimemezelo sokuvinjwa okuphakanyisiweko njengelanga eliqakathekileko.
"Godu, abantu bayafa ngokusebenzisa amakhemikhali la," watjho. "Lokha abantu nabasebenzisa amakhemikhali la, abantu abaseduze bayagula begodu abantu baba namalwelwe angapheliko ngebanga lokusebenzisa amakhemikhali la. Sifuna ukuqinisekisa bona sivikela abantu abanengi ngendlela esingakghona ngayo."
Kodwana wathaba ukuzwa bona i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko ikholelwa bona umthetho lo angeze waqedwa ezinye iinyanga ezili-15.
U-Lauren Atkins, indodanakhe eneminyaka ema-31 u-Joshua wahlongakala ngo-2018 ngemva kokusebenzisa i-paint stripper ukupenda ibhayisikili lakhe le-BMX, ukhathazekile ngokuthi ukusetjenziswa kwayo angeze kwavinjelwa. Wadana khulu nakabona imigodi le emkhangisweni.
"Ngapheze ngagxuma ngaphasi kweembadada zami bekwaba kulapho ngiqeda incwadi yoke, bese ngazizwa ngidabukile," kutjho u-Atkins. Ngemva kokuhlongakala kwendodanakhe, umnqopho wakhe bekukususa i-methylene chloride emakethe ukwenzela bona ingabulali. omunye umuntu. "Ngilahlekelwe yindodana yami, kodwana indodana yami ilahlekelwe ngikho koke."
I-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko ithe ukusetjenziswa kwamakhemikhali ekukhiqizeni iindakamizwa akukafakwa emThethweni wokuLawulwa kwezinto ezinobuthi, njeke akukavunyelwa yimithetho ephakanyisiweko. I-ejensi ithe abasebenzi abaragela phambili nokusebenzisa i-methylene chloride kweminye imisebenzi evunyelwe ngaphasi kwesiphakamiso bazokuvikelwa “yiHlelo elitjha lokuLawula amaKhemikhali emsebenzini elinemikhawulo eqinileko yokuvezwa.” I-Methylene chloride ingaba yingozi lokha umhwamuko nawubuthelela eendaweni ezivalelekileko.
Ukusetjenziswa okuthileko okukhulu kuzokuhlala ngaphakathi kwalokhu kukhululwa, kufaka hlangana umsebenzi "oqakathekileko" nofana "oqakathekileko wokuphepha" owenziwe ngamasotja, i-NASA, i-Federal Aviation Administration, nabosonkontileka babo; ukusetjenziswa emalabhorethri; I-US neenkhampani eziyisebenzisako njenge-reagent nofana eziyikhiqiza ngeenhloso ezivunyelweko, kutsho i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko.
Ngaphandle kwama-ejensi wefederali, i-methylene chloride ayisatholakali eensetjenzisweni zokukhipha ipende. Umkhiqizo lo uvame ukufa hlangana nabasebenzi abalungisa amabhathi amadala emakhaya namafulethini.
Begodu i-methylene chloride angeze isavunyelwa bona isetjenziselwe ukususa amafutha ngomtjhiso wezamabhizinisi nezamabubulo, ukususa ukunamathela, ukuqeda iindwangu, ukuthambisa okumanzi, ama-hobby glues kanye nezinye izinto ezinengi.
"Njenganje, abantu abangaba zi-845,000 bavezwe ku-methylene chloride emsebenzini," kutsho i-Environmental Protection Agency esitatimendeni. "Ngaphasi kwesiphakamiso se-EPA, abasebenzi abangaphasi kwe-10,000 kulindeleke bona baragele phambili nokusebenzisa i-methylene chloride begodu benze amahlelo atlhogekako wokuvikela amakhemikhali emsebenzini ebungozini obungakafaneli."
U-Dr. Robert Harrison, uphrofesa wezamaphilo wezokwelapha wezemisebenzi nezebhoduluko e-University of California, e-San Francisco, sele asebenza nge-methylene chloride iminyaka elitjhumi. Wathi i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko ilandela isiphakamiso ukulinga ukulinganisa ukuphepha nokutshwenyeka kwezomnotho nokuvikeleka kwelizwe, begodu wathola ububanzi bokuvinjwa bukhuthaza.
"Ngicabanga bona lokhu kukunqoba. Lokhu kukunqoba kwabasebenzi," kutjho u-Harrison, obekabandakanyeka esifundweni sango-2021 ngokuhlongakala okuhlobene namakhemikhali. "Lokhu kubeka isibonelo esihle khulu sokwenza iinqunto nokusungula iinkambisolawulo ezisekelwe esayensi ecacileko... Kufanele siqede amakhemikhali anobuthi la sikhethe ezinye iindlela eziphephileko ezenza umonakalo ukudlula ukusiza."
Ungacabanga bona amakhemikhali akukafaneli athengiswe emakethe ngaphandle kobana atholakale aphephile. Kodwana akusiyo indlela ihlelo le-Amerikha elisebenza ngayo.
Ukutshwenyeka ngokuphepha kwamakhemikhali kwabangela bona i-Congress iphasise umThetho wokuLawulwa kwezinto ezinobuthi ngo-1976, owabeka iimfuneko ezithileko kumakhemikhali. Kodwana amagadango la abonwa njengabuthakathaka, atjhiya i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko inganagunya lokwenza ukuhlolwa okubanzi kokuphepha. I-Federal Inventory, eyagadangiswa ngo-1982, ibala amakhemikhali angaba zi-62,000, begodu inani lelo liyakhula.
Ngo-2016, i-Congress yatjhugulula i-TSCA ukugunyaza i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko bona yenze ukuhlolwa kwengozi yamakhemikhali. I-Methylene chloride bekuyinkinga yokuthoma i-ejensi eyaqalana nayo.
"Kungakho silinga ukutjhugulula i-TSCA," kutjho u-Hitchcock, owabelana nama-ofisi we-congress ngephenyo lokuthembeka komphakathi ngesikhatheso njengezibonelo eziqakathekileko zokungathathi igadango okubulalako.
Igadango elilandelako ekuvinjweni kwe-methylene chloride okuphakanyisiweko kuzokuba sikhatjhana sokuphawula komphakathi samalanga ama-60. Abantu bazokukghona ukuveza imibono yabo nge-ajenda ye-EPA, begodu abasekeli bokuphepha bayahlangana malungana nendaba le.
"Leli ligadango elikhulu lokuragela phambili kwezamaphilo womphakathi, kodwana akukho ngaphandle kwezinto ezimbi," kutsho u-Hitchcock. Bekafuna ukubona ukuphawula "okubiza i-Ejensi yokuVikelwa kweBhoduluko bona yamukele imithetho enamandla khulu."
U-Harrison wake wathi ukulawulwa kwamakhemikhali e-United States kwaragela phambili kabuthaka khulu bekwaba kulapho amaqhwa athoma ukudlula khona. Kodwana ubona ituthuko kusukela ekutjhugululweni kwe-TSCA yango-2016. Umthetho omutjha we-methylene chloride umnikela ithemba.
"Kunamanye amakhemikhali amanengi angalandela isiqunto se-US nge-methylene chloride," watjho.
I-Public Integrity ayinayo i-paywall begodu ayikwamukeli ukukhangisa ngalokho ubuntatheli bethu bokuphenya bungaba nomthelela omkhulu khulu ekurarululeni ukungalingani e-Amerikha. Umsebenzi wethu wenzeka ngebanga lokusekelwa babantu abafana nawe.
U-Jamie Smith Hopkins mhleli nomtloli omkhulu we-Center for Public Integrity. Umsebenzi wakhe ufakahlangana eminye imisebenzi ka-Jamie Smith Hopkins.
I-Center for Public Integrity yinhlangano engenzi inzuzo yobuntatheli ephenyako edzimelele ekungalinganini e-Amerikha. Asamukeli ukukhangisa namkha sikhokhise abantu ukufunda umsebenzi wethu.
       I-atikili leyavela kokuthoma ngo-Isikhungo sokuthembeka komphakathibegodu yatjhatjalaliswa kabutjha ngaphasi kwelayisense ye-Creative Commons.