Toxic-Free Future yiyemeje gushyiraho ahazaza hazima binyuze mu gushishikariza ikoreshwa ry’ibicuruzwa, imiti n’ibikorwa bitekanye binyuze mu bushakashatsi bugezweho, ubuvugizi, gushyira hamwe abantu benshi no kwitabira abaguzi.
Kuva mu myaka ya 1980, kwandura methylene chloride byagaragaye ko bifitanye isano n'urupfu rw'abaguzi benshi n'abakozi. Iyi shimi ikoreshwa mu gusiga amarangi n'ibindi bicuruzwa bihita bipfa bitewe no kubura umwuka no kurwara indwara z'umutima, kandi ikaba ifitanye isano na kanseri no kutabasha gutekereza neza.
Itangazo rya EPA ryo guhagarika ikoreshwa rya methylene chloride mu cyumweru gishize riduha icyizere cy'uko nta wundi muntu uzapfa azize iki kinyabutabire cyica.
Itegeko ryatanzwe rizabuza ikoreshwa ry’imiti iyo ari yo yose ikoreshwa n’abaguzi ndetse n’inganda nyinshi ndetse n’ubucuruzi, harimo imashini zikuraho amavuta, imashini zikuraho ibara, n’imashini zikuraho irangi cyangwa irangi, n’ibindi.
Harimo kandi ibisabwa mu kurinda ahantu ho gukorera impushya zo gukoresha ibintu bikomeye mu gihe gito ndetse no kugabanya amafaranga akoreshwa mu Minisiteri y’Ingabo ya Amerika, Ikigo gishinzwe iby’indege, Minisiteri y’Umutekano w’Igihugu, na NASA. Uretse ibyo, EPA itanga "gahunda zo kurinda imiti ihumanya ikirere mu kazi zifite imipaka ikomeye yo kurinda abakozi." Ni ukuvuga ko iri tegeko rikuraho imiti ihumanya cyane mu maduka no mu bindi biro byinshi.
Birahagije kuvuga ko itegeko ryo gukumira dichloromethane ritari kubaho hakurikijwe itegeko ryo kurwanya uburozi (TSCA) ryo mu 1976, ivugurura ihuriro ryacu rimaze imyaka rikora, nta kintu na kimwe cyabaye.
Umuvuduko w’ibikorwa bya leta ku biyobyabwenge uracyari muke cyane. Ntabwo byafashije kuba muri Mutarama 2017, ubwo amavugurura ya TSCA yatangiraga gushyirwa mu bikorwa, ubuyobozi bwa EPA bwafashe icyemezo cyo kurwanya amategeko. Noneho rero, nyuma y’imyaka hafi irindwi amategeko avuguruwe asinyweho umukono, kandi iyi ni inshuro ya kabiri gusa EPA itanga ingamba zo kurwanya ibinyabutabire “biriho” mu nshingano zayo.
Iyi ni intambwe ikomeye mu kurinda ubuzima bw'abaturage imiti ihumanya. Igihe ibikorwa bizakorwa kugeza uyu munsi kigaragaza imyaka myinshi y'akazi gakomeye ko kugera kuri iyi ngingo.
Ntibitangaje kuba methylene chloride iri ku rutonde rwa EPA rwa “Top 10″ rw’ibinyabutabire byasuzumwe kandi bigagenzurwa na TSCA yavuguruwe. Mu 1976, abantu batatu bapfuye batewe no guhura n’iki kinyabutabire mu buryo butunguranye, bituma EPA ihagarika ikoreshwa ryacyo mu bikoresho bikuraho irangi.
EPA yari imaze kugira ibimenyetso bifatika byerekana akaga k'iki kinyabutabire kera cyane mbere ya 2016 - mu by'ukuri, ibimenyetso byari bihari byatumye umuyobozi wacyo Gina McCarthy akoresha ububasha bwa EPA muri TSCA yavuguruye atanga igitekerezo cy'uko mu mpera za 2016 uburyo bwo gukuraho amarangi n'ibisigazwa birimo methylene chloride byabujijwe gukoreshwa n'abaguzi n'aho bakorera.
Abarwanashyaka bacu n'abafatanyabikorwa bacu bishimiye cyane gusangiza abandi ibitekerezo byinshi mu bihumbi mirongo EPA yakiriye bishyigikira iryo hagarikwa. Abafatanyabikorwa bo ku rwego rw'igihugu bishimiye kwifatanya natwe mu bukangurambaga bwacu bwo kumvisha abacuruzi nka Lowe's na The Home Depot kureka kugurisha ibi bicuruzwa mbere yuko itegeko rihagarikwa burundu.
Ikibabaje ni uko Ikigo gishinzwe kurengera ibidukikije, kiyobowe na Scott Pruitt, cyahagaritse amategeko yombi ndetse gitinza ingamba zo gusuzuma imiti mu buryo bwagutse.
Bababajwe n'uko EPA itagize icyo ikora, imiryango y'urubyiruko rwapfuye bazize kurya ibyo bicuruzwa yagiye i Washington guhura n'abayobozi ba EPA n'abagize Inteko Ishinga Amategeko kugira ngo bigishe abantu ububi nyakuri bwa methylene chloride. Bamwe muri bo bifatanyije natwe n'abafatanyabikorwa bacu mu kurega EPA kugira ngo ibarinde ubundi buryo.
Mu 2019, ubwo Umuyobozi wa EPA, Andrew Wheeler, yatangazaga ko iki gikorwa cyari gikunzwe cyane, ariko cyashyize abakozi mu kaga.
Nyina w’abasore babiri bapfuye n’abafatanyabikorwa bacu ba Vermont PIRG twifatanyije natwe mu rubanza rw’urukiko rw’igihugu rusaba abakozi uburinzi nk’ubwo EPA iha abaguzi. (Kubera ko ikirego cyacu atari cyo cyihariye, urukiko rwinjiye mu byifuzo bya NRDC, Inama y’Umurimo yo muri Amerika y’Epfo, n’Ishyirahamwe ry’Abakora Halogenated Solvent. Iri tsinda rivuga ko EPA idakwiye kubuza ikoreshwa ry’abaguzi.) Nubwo umucamanza yanze icyifuzo cy’itsinda ry’abacuruzi bo mu nganda cyo gukuraho itegeko ryo kurengera abaguzi, twababajwe cyane no kuba mu 2021 urukiko rwanze gusaba EPA kubuza ikoreshwa ry’ubucuruzi ryashyiraga abakozi kuri iki kinyabutabire kibi.
Mu gihe EPA ikomeje gusuzuma ingaruka ziterwa na methylene chloride, dukomeje gushishikariza kurinda ikoreshwa ryose ry'iyi miti. Byari bishimishije gato ubwo EPA yasohoraga isuzuma ryayo ry'ingaruka mu 2020 maze isanga ubusabe 47 kuri 53 bwari "ingaruka zidafite ishingiro." Ikindi gishimishije kurushaho, guverinoma nshya yongeye gusuzuma ko PPE idakwiye gufatwa nk'uburyo bwo kurinda abakozi, kandi yasanze ikoreshwa ryose uretse rimwe muri 53 ryasuzumwe ryari ridafite ishingiro.
Twahuye kenshi n'abayobozi ba EPA na White House bateguye isuzuma ry'ibyago na politiki, batanga ubuhamya bukomeye kuri Komite Ngishwanama ya Siyansi ya EPA, kandi bavuga inkuru z'abantu batashoboraga kuhaba.
Ntabwo turarangiza – nimara gutangazwa itegeko muri Rejisitiri ya Leta, hazabaho igihe cy'iminsi 60 cyo gutanga ibitekerezo, hanyuma inzego za leta zigasesengura ibitekerezo mbere yuko biba verisiyo ya nyuma.
Turasaba EPA kurangiza akazi vuba cyane ishyiraho itegeko rikomeye rirengera abakozi bose, abaguzi n'abaturage. Tanga igitekerezo cyawe mu gihe utanga igitekerezo cyawe ukoresheje ubusabe bwacu bwo kuri interineti.