Toxic-Free Future yiyemeje guteza imbere ikoreshwa ry’ibicuruzwa, imiti n’ibikorwa bitagira ingaruka mbi kugira ngo ejo hazaza habeho ubuzima bwiza binyuze mu bushakashatsi bugezweho, ubuvugizi, gutegura ibikorwa by’abaturage no kwitabira abaguzi.
Kuva mu myaka ya 1980, kwandura methylene chloride byahitanye ubuzima bw'abaguzi benshi n'abakozi. Imiti ikoreshwa mu gusiga amarangi n'ibindi bicuruzwa ishobora gutera urupfu rw'ako kanya ruturutse ku kubura umwuka n'indwara z'umutima, kandi byanafitanye isano na kanseri n'ubumuga bwo mu mutwe.
Itangazo rya EPA ryo guhagarika ikoreshwa rya methylene chloride mu cyumweru gishize riduha icyizere cy'uko nta muntu uzapfa azize iki kinyabutabire cyica.
Itegeko ryatanzwe rizabuza ikoreshwa ryose ry’imiti ku bakoresha, ndetse n’ikoreshwa ryinshi mu nganda no mu bucuruzi, harimo imashini zikuraho amavuta, imashini zikuraho ibara, imashini zikuraho irangi cyangwa irangi, nibindi.
Harimo kandi uburenganzira bwo gukoresha imiti mu buryo buciriritse ku bijyanye no kurinda aho bakorera ndetse n'uburenganzira bugaragara bwo gukoresha Minisiteri y'Ingabo, Ikigo gishinzwe iby'indege, Minisiteri y'Umutekano w'Igihugu, na NASA. Nk'uko bidasanzwe, EPA itanga "gahunda zo kurinda imiti mu kazi zifite imipaka ikomeye yo kurinda abakozi." By'umwihariko, iri tegeko ribuza imiti ihumanya cyane kwinjira mu bubiko bw'amaduka n'ahantu henshi ho gukorera.
Ntabwo ari ikintu gito kuvuga ko itegeko ribuza methylene chloride ritazashyirwaho hakurikijwe Itegeko ryo Kurwanya Ibiyobyabwenge (TSCA) ryo mu 1976, iryo shyirahamwe ryacu rimaze imyaka myinshi rikora cyane kugira ngo rivugurure.
Umuvuduko w’ibikorwa bya leta ku biyobyabwenge uracyari muke cyane. Ntabwo byafashije ubuyobozi bwa EPA gufata icyemezo cyo kurwanya amategeko muri Mutarama 2017, kimwe n’uko ivugurura rya TSCA ryatangiye gushyirwa mu bikorwa. Hashize hafi imyaka irindwi amategeko avuguruwe asinyweho, kandi iki ni igikorwa cya kabiri EPA yatanze cyo kurwanya ibinyabutabire “biriho” biri munsi y’ubuyobozi bwayo.
Iyi ni intambwe ikomeye mu kurinda ubuzima bw'abaturage imiti ihumanya. Ingengabihe y'ibikorwa kugeza ubu igaragaza imyaka y'akazi gakomeye gakenewe kugira ngo iyi ntego igerweho.
Ntibitangaje kuba dichloromethane iri ku rutonde rwa EPA rw’ibinyabutabire "cumi bya mbere" bigomba gusuzumwa no kugenzurwa hakurikijwe TSCA yavuguruwe. Mu 1976, abantu batatu bapfuye bazize gukururwa n’ibinyabutabire, bituma Ikigo gishinzwe kurengera ibidukikije gisaba guhagarika ikoreshwa ryabyo mu bikoresho bikuraho irangi.
Mbere ya 2016, EPA yari isanzwe ifite ibimenyetso bifatika byerekana akaga k'iyi miti—mu by'ukuri, ibimenyetso byari bihari byatumye umuyobozi wacyo Gina McCarthy akoresha ububasha bwa EPA muri TSCA yavuguruye kugira ngo atanga igitekerezo cyo guhagarika ikoreshwa ry'irangi ririmo methylene chloride n'uburyo bwo kurikuraho bitarenze impera za 2016.
Abarwanashyaka bacu n'abafatanyabikorwa bacu bishimiye cyane gusangiza abandi ibitekerezo byinshi mu bihumbi mirongo EPA yakiriye bishyigikira iryo hagarikwa. Abafatanyabikorwa ba leta bishimiye kwifatanya natwe muri gahunda yacu yo kumvisha abacuruzi nka Lowe's na Home Depot kureka kugurisha ibi bicuruzwa mbere yuko iryo hagarikwa ryemezwa burundu.
Ikibabaje ni uko EPA, iyobowe na Scott Pruitt, yahagaritse ayo mategeko yombi kandi igabanya ibikorwa byo gusuzuma imiti mu buryo bwagutse.
Bababajwe n'uko EPA itagize icyo ikora, imiryango y'urubyiruko rwapfuye bazize ibi bicuruzwa yagiye i Washington, bahura n'abayobozi ba EPA n'abagize Inteko Ishinga Amategeko, maze bamenya mu buryo bwa kinyabupfura ingaruka mbi za methylene chloride. Bamwe muri bo bifatanyije natwe n'abafatanyabikorwa bacu mu kurega EPA kugira ngo ibarinde by'inyongera.
Mu 2019, ubwo Komiseri wa EPA Andrew Wheeler yatangazaga itegeko ryo guhagarika kugurisha ku baguzi, twabonye ko icyo gikorwa, nubwo cyakiriwe neza, kiracyakomeretsa abakozi.
Ababyeyi b'aba bombi bahohotewe hamwe n'abafatanyabikorwa bacu ba PIRG muri Vermont bifatanyije natwe mu gutanga ikirego mu rukiko rw'igihugu basaba EPA guha abaguzi uburinzi nk'ubw'abakozi. (Kubera ko ikirego cyacu atari cyo cyonyine, urukiko rwinjiye mu byifuzo bya NRDC, Inama y'Umurimo y'Amerika y'Epfo, n'Ishyirahamwe ry'Abakora Halogenated Solvent. Aba nyuma bavuze ko EPA idakwiye kubuza ikoreshwa ry'abaguzi.) Nubwo twishimiye ko umucamanza yanze icyifuzo cy'itsinda ry'abacuruzi bo mu nganda cyo gukuraho itegeko ryo kurengera abaguzi, twababajwe cyane n'uko kunanirwa k'urukiko mu 2021 gusaba EPA kubuza ikoreshwa ry'ubucuruzi kwashyize abakozi kuri iki kinyabutabire kibi.
Mu gihe EPA ikomeje gusuzuma ingaruka ziterwa na methylene chloride, dukomeje gushishikariza kurinda ikoreshwa ryose ry'iyi miti. Ubwo EPA yasohoraga isuzuma ryayo ry'ingaruka mu 2020, yasanze ikoreshwa 47 muri 53 "ryari riteje akaga gakabije." Ikindi gishimishije kurushaho, guverinoma nshya yongeye gusuzuma ko PPE idakwiye gufatwa nk'uburyo bwo kurinda abakozi kandi yasanze ikoreshwa ryose uretse rimwe muri 53 ryatekerejweho ari ingaruka ziteje akaga gakomeye.
Twahuye kenshi n'abayobozi ba EPA na White House bashyizeho amategeko agenga isuzuma ry'ingaruka n'amategeko ya nyuma, batanga ibitekerezo kuri Komite Ngishwanama ya Siyansi ya EPA, banavuga inkuru z'abatashoboye kwitabira.
Ntabwo turarangiza – nimara gusohoka mu gitabo cya Leta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika, hazabaho igihe cy'iminsi 60 cyo gutanga ibitekerezo, hanyuma inzego za leta zigasuzuma ibyo bitekerezo hakurikijwe inyuguti mbere yuko bitangira gukurikizwa.
Turasaba EPA gushyiraho vuba itegeko rikomeye rirengera abakozi bose, abaguzi, n'abaturage kugira ngo bashobore gukora akazi kabo. Nyamuneka menya neza ko ijwi ryawe ryumvikana binyuze mu busabe bwacu bwo kuri interineti mu gihe cyo gutanga ibitekerezo.