Izitshalo ezingaphezu kuka-200 ezikhiqiza amakhemikhali ezweni lonke - okubandakanya inqwaba eTexas eduze neGulf Coast - kuzodingeka ukuthi zehlise ukukhishwa 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 neminye imikhiqizo ye-petrochemical.Uhlu lwe-EPA lukhombisa ukuthi cishe ama-80, noma ama-40% awo, atholakala eTexas, ikakhulukazi emadolobheni asogwini njengeBaytown, Channelview, Corpus Christi, Deer Park, La Porte, Pasadena nasePort Arthur.
Umthetho omusha ugxile ekunciphiseni amakhemikhali ayisithupha: i-ethylene oxide, i-chloroprene, i-benzene, i-1,3-butadiene, i-ethylene dichloride ne-vinyl chloride.Konke kwaziwa ngokukhulisa ubungozi bomdlavuza futhi kubangele ukulimala kwemizwa, inhliziyo nemithambo yegazi kanye namasosha omzimba ngemva kokuchayeka isikhathi eside.
Ngokusho kwe-EPA, lo mthetho omusha uzonciphisa amathani angaphezu kuka-6,000 ezinto ezingcolisa umoya ezinobuthi ngonyaka futhi unciphise inani labantu abasengozini yomdlavuza ephakeme ngama-96% ezweni lonke.
Lo mthetho omusha uzodinga futhi ukuthi izinsiza zifake imishini yokuqapha umoya ocingo oluyintambo ekala ukugxila kwekhemikhali ethile endaweni yokukhiqiza.
Singahlinzeka ngezinzwa zegesi ezinamapharamitha amaningi ezingaqapha izinhlobonhlobo zamagesi
UHarold Wimmer, umongameli kanye ne-CEO ye-American Lung Association, esitatimendeni uthe abaqaphi benzwa yomoya “bazosiza ukuvikela imiphakathi eseduze ngokuyinikeza ulwazi olunembe ngekhwalithi yomoya eziwuphefumulayo.”
Ucwaningo lubonisa ukuthi imiphakathi yemibala isengozini enkulu yokuchayeka ekungcoleni okuvela ezimbonini ezikhiqiza amakhemikhali.
UCynthia Palmer, umhlaziyi omkhulu wamakhemikhali kaphethiloli wenhlangano engenzi nzuzo yezemvelo iMoms Clean Air Force, esitatimendeni esibhaliwe uthe lo mthetho omusha “uqondene nami ngokujulile.Umngane wami omkhulu wakhulela eduze kwezindawo eziyisishiyagalolunye zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali eTexas ezizohlanganiswa kulokhu kumiswa kwemithetho entsha.Ubulawe umdlavuza ngesikhathi izingane zakhe zisafunda enkulisa.”
UPalmer uthe lo mthetho omusha uyisinyathelo esibalulekile esiya phambili sobulungiswa bezemvelo.
Isimemezelo sangoLwesibili siza ngemuva kwenyanga i-EPA iphasise umthetho wokunciphisa ukukhishwa kwe-ethylene oxide ezikhungweni zokuvala inzalo.E-Laredo, izakhamuzi zithi izitshalo ezinjalo zibe nomthelela emazingeni aphezulu omdlavuza wedolobha.
U-Hector Rivero, umongameli kanye no-CEO we-Texas Chemistry Council, uthe nge-imeyili umthetho omusha we-EPA uzoba nomthelela omkhulu ekwenziweni kwe-ethylene oxide, athe ibalulekile emikhiqizweni efana nezimoto zikagesi nama-computer chips, kanye ukuvala inzalo imikhiqizo yezokwelapha.
U-Rivero uthe umkhandlu, omele izikhungo ezingaphezu kuka-200 embonini yokukhiqiza amakhemikhali, uzohambisana nemithetho emisha, kodwa ukholelwa ukuthi indlela i-EPA ehlole ngayo izingozi zezempilo ze-ethylene oxide yayinephutha ngokwesayensi.
“Ukuthembela kwe-EPA kudatha yesisi esiphelelwe yisikhathi kuholele esimisweni sokugcina esisekelwe ezingozini ezikhuphukile kanye nezinzuzo ezicatshangelwayo,” kusho uRivero.
Umthetho omusha uqala ukusebenza ngemuva nje kokushicilelwa ku-Federal Register.Ukwehliswa okukhulu kwengozi yomdlavuza kuzovela ekunciphiseni ukukhishwa kwe-ethylene oxide ne-chloroprene.Izinsiza kufanele zihlangabezane nezimfuneko zokunciphisa i-ethylene oxide phakathi neminyaka emibili ngemva kokuba umthetho ususebenza futhi kufanele zihlangabezane nezimfuneko ze-chloroprene phakathi kwezinsuku ezingu-90 ngemva kwedethi yokuqala.
UVictoria Cann, okhulumela uphiko lwezemvelo kuhulumeni, iTexas Commission on Environmental Quality, esitatimendeni uthe le nhlangano izokwenza uphenyo ukuze ihlole ukuthi iyahambisana yini nezidingo zalo mthetho omusha njengengxenye yohlelo lwayo lokuthobela kanye nokulandelwa komthetho.
Umthetho uqondise okokusebenza ezindaweni zokukhiqiza amakhemikhali ezikhipha ukungcoliswa komoya njengamasistimu okushintshanisa ukushisa (amadivayisi ashisa noma uketshezi olupholile), kanye nezinqubo ezifana nokukhipha umoya nokuvutha okukhiphela amagesi emoyeni.
Ukuvutha kuvame ukwenzeka ngesikhathi sokuqala, ukuvala shaqa kanye nokungasebenzi kahle.E-Texas, izinkampani zibike ukuthi zidedele amakhilogremu ayizigidi ezi-1 zokungcola okweqile ngesikhathi kubanda kukaJanuwari.Abagqugquzeli bezemvelo babize leyo micimbi ngezintuba ekuqinisweni kwemvelo okuvumela izikhungo ukuthi zingcolise ngaphandle kokujeziswa noma izinhlawulo ngaphansi kwezimo ezithile ezifana nesimo sezulu esibi kakhulu noma izinhlekelele zamakhemikhali.
Umthetho udinga izikhungo ukuthi zenze imibiko eyengeziwe yokuthobela kanye nokuhlola ukusebenza ngemva kwemicimbi enjalo.
Isikhathi sokuthumela: Apr-11-2024