You asked what impact the Clean Air Act's restrictions have had on the use of the chemical solvent methyl chloroform (1,1,1-trichlorethane) in Connecticut, and if certain large employers are exempt from the restrictions.

SUMMARY

Methyl chloroform, also known as 1,1,1, -trichloroethane, is a colorless, nonflammable liquid used primarily to clean metal surfaces, and in aerosol sprays and adhesives. Because it contributed to the depletion of the ozone layer, the federal Clean Air Act and the Montreal Protocol banned its production for non-essential uses in 1996. Some indication of the amount of the chemical used in Connecticut is available from the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which tracks the release of hundreds of toxic chemicals to the environment. EPA reports that total releases of methyl chloroform in Connecticut declined from 10,780,411 pounds in 1988 to 23,963 pounds in 1998. There were no reported releases in 1999, the last year for which statistics are available. EPA further reports that while 161 Connecticut companies reported releases of methyl chloroform in 1988, only two companies reported releases in 1998 and none in 1999. However, it is possible that some Connecticut businesses still use small amounts of methyl chloroform, because EPA's report includes only certain facilities that employ 10 or more workers and that process, manufacture, or use more than specified quantities of a chemical. There are no restrictions specific to the use of methyl chloroform that differ based on company size.

PHASE OUT OF METHYL CHLOROFORM

Methyl chloroform ranks 79th on a priority list of hazardous substances compiled by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Because it contributed to the depletion of the ozone layer, the federal Clean Air Act (42 USC 7401 et seq. ) and the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer phased out production of methyl chloroform for non-essential uses in 1996. (Essential uses are those necessary for the health, safety, or critical function of society, and for which there is no acceptable substitute. Because of the increasing availability of substitutes, supplies of methyl chloroform were expected to last until about 2001. )

Methyl chloroform is now produced in the U. S. only for essential uses, and as an intermediary step in the production of other chemicals. Under the Montreal Protocol, developing countries can still produce methyl chloroform until January 1, 2015.

The federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (42 USC 11011) requires that EPA provide the public with accurate information about potentially hazardous chemicals. EPA tracks the release of more than 600 such chemicals through its Toxic Release Inventory (TRI). Companies required to report releases include certain industries that employ 10 or more full-time workers that annually process or manufacture more than 25,000 pounds, or otherwise use more than 10,000 pounds, of a designated chemical.

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