US environmental regulators delay chemical safety deadlines by two years

The EPA is pushing back compliance deadlines for workplace protections against two toxic chemicals — perchloroethylene and carbon tetrachloride — by roughly two years, from 2025 to 2027. This gives companies more time to monitor worker exposure, reduce chemical levels in the air, and implement safety measures like protective equipment and exposure control plans.

Compliance deadlines are the enforcement teeth of chemical safety rules; delaying them by two years means workers exposed to these known toxic substances will remain unprotected for longer than the original rule required, unless the company chooses to move faster anyway.