Kuzodingeka izimboni zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali ezingaphezu kuka-200 ezweni lonke - okuhlanganisa nezindawo eziningi eTexas ogwini lwaseGulf Coast - ukunciphisa ukukhishwa kwegesi okunobuthi okungadala umdlavuza kubantu abahlala eduze ngaphansi komthetho omusha we-Environmental Protection Agency omenyezelwe ngoLwesibili.
Lezi zikhungo zisebenzisa amakhemikhali ayingozi ukwenza amapulasitiki, upende, izindwangu zokwenziwa, izibulala-zinambuzane kanye neminye imikhiqizo yamakhemikhali kaphethroli. Uhlu lwe-EPA lubonisa ukuthi cishe ama-80, noma ama-40% awo, atholakala eTexas, ikakhulukazi emadolobheni asogwini njengeBaytown, Channelview, Corpus Christi, Deer Park, La Porte, Pasadena kanye nePort Arthur.
Umthetho omusha ugxile ekukhawuleleni amakhemikhali ayisithupha: i-ethylene oxide, i-chloroprene, i-benzene, i-1,3-butadiene, i-ethylene dichloride kanye ne-vinyl chloride. Konke kwaziwa ngokwandisa ingozi yomdlavuza futhi kubangele umonakalo ezinhlelweni zezinzwa, zenhliziyo kanye nezokuzivikela komzimba ngemva kokuchayeka isikhathi eside.
Ngokusho kwe-EPA, lo mthetho omusha uzonciphisa amathani angaphezu kuka-6,000 okungcola komoya okunobuthi minyaka yonke futhi wehlise inani labantu abasengozini ephezulu yomdlavuza ngo-96% ezweni lonke.
Umthetho omusha uzodinga nezindawo zokufaka amadivayisi okuqapha umoya wocingo olucijile alinganisa amazinga ekhemikhali ethile emgqeni wendawo yokukhiqiza.
Singahlinzeka ngezinzwa zegesi ezinamapharamitha amaningi ezingaqapha izinhlobo ezahlukene zamagesi
UHarold Wimmer, umongameli kanye ne-CEO ye-American Lung Association, uthe esitatimendeni ukuthi iziqaphi zokuzwa umoya “zizosiza ekuvikeleni imiphakathi eseduze ngokuyinikeza ulwazi olunembile mayelana nekhwalithi yomoya abayiphefumulayo.”
Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi imiphakathi enemibala ehlukahlukene inamathuba amaningi okuchayeka ekungcolisweni okuvela ezitshalweni zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali.
UCynthia Palmer, umhlaziyi omkhulu wamakhemikhali kaphethroli enhlanganweni engenzi nzuzo yezemvelo iMoms Clean Air Force, uthe esitatimendeni esibhaliwe ukuthi lo mthetho omusha “uyimfihlo kakhulu kimi. Umngane wami omkhulu wakhulela eduze kwezikhungo eziyisishiyagalolunye zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali eTexas ezizohlanganiswa kulo mthetho omusha. Washona ngomdlavuza ngesikhathi izingane zakhe zisesesikoleni sabantwana abancane.”
UPalmer uthe umthetho omusha uyisinyathelo esibalulekile sobulungiswa bezemvelo.
Isimemezelo sangoLwesibili sifike ngemuva kwenyanga i-EPA ivumile umthetho wokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwe-ethylene oxide okuvela ezindaweni zokubulala amagciwane zezentengiselwano. ELaredo, izakhamuzi zithi izitshalo ezinjalo ziye zaba negalelo emazingeni aphezulu omdlavuza edolobheni.
UHector Rivero, umongameli kanye ne-CEO ye-Texas Chemistry Council, uthe ku-imeyili ukuthi umthetho omusha we-EPA uzoba nomthelela omkhulu ekukhiqizweni kwe-ethylene oxide, athi ibalulekile emikhiqizweni efana nezimoto zikagesi nama-computer chips, kanye nokubulala amagciwane emikhiqizweni yezokwelapha.
URivero uthe umkhandlu, omele izikhungo ezingaphezu kuka-200 embonini yokukhiqiza amakhemikhali, uzolandela imithetho emisha, kodwa ukholelwa ukuthi indlela i-EPA ehlole ngayo izingozi zezempilo ze-ethylene oxide yayinephutha ngokwesayensi.
“Ukuthembela kwe-EPA kudatha yokukhishwa kwegesi esiphelelwe yisikhathi kuholele emthethweni wokugcina osekelwe ezingozini ezikhuphukile kanye nezinzuzo ezicatshangelwayo,” kusho uRivero.
Lo mthetho omusha uqala ukusebenza ngemuva nje kokushicilelwa kwi-Federal Register. Ukunciphisa okukhulu kwengozi yomdlavuza kuzovela ekunciphiseni ukukhishwa kwe-ethylene oxide ne-chloroprene. Izikhungo kumele zihlangabezane nezidingo zokunciphisa i-ethylene oxide zingakapheli iminyaka emibili ngemuva kokuba umthetho usebenze futhi kumele zihlangabezane nezidingo ze-chloroprene zingakapheli izinsuku ezingama-90 ngemuva kosuku lokuqala ukusebenza.
UVictoria Cann, okhulumela inhlangano yezemvelo yesifundazwe, iTexas Commission on Environmental Quality, uthe esitatimendeni ukuthi le nhlangano izokwenza uphenyo ukuze ihlole ukuhambisana nezimfuneko zomthetho omusha njengengxenye yohlelo lwayo lokuthobela imithetho kanye nokuphoqelela umthetho.
Lo mthetho uhlose imishini ezindaweni zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali ekhipha ukungcola komoya njengezinhlelo zokushintshanisa ukushisa (amadivayisi afudumeza noma apholisa uketshezi), kanye nezinqubo ezifana nokukhipha umoya nokukhipha amagesi emoyeni.
Ukushaqeka kuvame ukwenzeka ngesikhathi sezinkampani ezintsha, ukuvalwa kanye nokungasebenzi kahle. ETexas, izinkampani zibike ukuthi zikhipha amakhilogremu ayisigidi okungcola okweqile ngesikhathi sokushisa kukaJanuwari. Abameli bezemvelo babize lezo zenzakalo ngokuthi yizihibe ekuqinisweni kwezemvelo ezivumela izikhungo ukuba zingcolise ngaphandle kwesijeziso noma izinhlawulo ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile njengasezimweni zezulu ezimbi kakhulu noma izinhlekelele zamakhemikhali.
Lo mthetho udinga izikhungo zokwenza umbiko owengeziwe wokuthobela imithetho kanye nokuhlolwa kokusebenza ngemva kwezehlakalo ezinjalo.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Ephreli-11-2024