Imizi-mveliso yeekhemikhali engaphezu kwama-200 kuzwelonke - kuquka amashumi amaninzi eTexas ecaleni kweGulf Coast - kuya kufuneka ukunciphisa ukukhutshwa kwegesi enobuthi enokubangela umhlaza kubantu abahlala kufutshane phantsi komthetho omtsha we-Environmental Protection Agency obhengezwe ngoLwesibini.
Ezi zakhiwo zisebenzisa iikhemikhali eziyingozi ukwenza iiplastiki, iipeyinti, amalaphu okwenziwa, izibulali-zinambuzane kunye nezinye iimveliso zepetrochemical. Uluhlu lwe-EPA lubonisa ukuba malunga nama-80, okanye ama-40% azo, akwiTexas, uninzi lwawo lukwizixeko ezikunxweme ezifana neBaytown, iChannelview, iCorpus Christi, iDeer Park, iLa Porte, iPasadena kunye nePort Arthur.
Lo mthetho mtsha ugxile ekuthinteleni iikhemikhali ezintandathu: i-ethylene oxide, i-chloroprene, i-benzene, i-1,3-butadiene, i-ethylene dichloride kunye ne-vinyl chloride. Zonke ziyaziwa ngokunyusa umngcipheko womhlaza kwaye zibangela umonakalo kwiinkqubo zemithambo-luvo, zentliziyo kunye nezomzimba emva kokusetyenziswa ixesha elide.
Ngokutsho kwe-EPA, lo mthetho mtsha uza kunciphisa ngaphezulu kweetoni ezingama-6,000 zongcoliseko lomoya oluyingozi minyaka le kwaye unciphise inani labantu abasengozini ephezulu yomhlaza ngama-96% kuzwelonke.
Lo mthetho mtsha uza kufuna nezakhiwo zokufaka izixhobo zokujonga umoya ezisebenzisa ucingo ezilinganisa ubuninzi beekhemikhali ezithile kumgca wepropati yendawo yokuvelisa.
Singabonelela ngee-sensors zegesi ezineeparameter ezininzi ezinokujonga iintlobo ngeentlobo zegesi
UHarold Wimmer, umongameli kunye ne-CEO ye-American Lung Association, uthe kwingxelo yakhe ukuba izixhobo zokuhlola umoya “ziya kunceda ekukhuseleni uluntu olukufutshane ngokubanika ulwazi oluchanekileyo malunga nomgangatho womoya abawuphefumlayo.”
Izifundo zibonisa ukuba uluntu olunemibala lunamathuba amaninzi okufumana ungcoliseko oluvela kwizityalo zokwenza iikhemikhali.
UCynthia Palmer, umhlalutyi ophezulu weekhemikhali zepetrochemicals kwi-Moms Clean Air Force engenzi nzuzo kwezendalo, uthe kwingxelo ebhaliweyo ukuba lo mthetho mtsha "ubaluleke kakhulu kum. Umhlobo wam osenyongweni wakhulela kufutshane neendawo ezilithoba zokwenza iikhemikhali eTexas eziza kugutyungelwa kulo mthetho mtsha. Wasweleka ngumhlaza xa abantwana bakhe babesesikolweni sabantwana abancinci."
UPalmer uthe lo mthetho mtsha linyathelo elibalulekileyo lobulungisa bokusingqongileyo.
Isibhengezo sangoLwesibini siza emva kwenyanga emva kokuba i-EPA ivumile umthetho wokunciphisa ukukhutshwa kwe-ethylene oxide kwiindawo zorhwebo zokubulala iintsholongwane. ELaredo, abemi bathi izityalo ezinjalo ziye zanegalelo kumazinga aphezulu omhlaza kwisixeko.
UHector Rivero, umongameli kunye ne-CEO yeTexas Chemistry Council, uthe kwi-imeyile ukuba lo mthetho mtsha we-EPA uza kuba nefuthe elikhulu ekwenziweni kwe-ethylene oxide, awathi ibalulekile kwiimveliso ezifana neemoto zombane kunye neetships zekhompyutha, kunye nokubulala iintsholongwane kwiimveliso zonyango.
URivero uthe ibhunga, elimele amaziko angaphezu kwama-200 kushishino lokuvelisa iikhemikhali, liza kuthobela imithetho emitsha, kodwa ukholelwa ukuba indlela i-EPA evavanye ngayo iingozi zempilo ze-ethylene oxide yayineziphene ngokwesayensi.
“Ukuxhomekeka kwe-EPA kwidatha yokukhutshwa komoya ongcolileyo ephelelwe lixesha kukhokelele kumthetho wokugqibela osekelwe kwiingozi ezinyuswe kakhulu kunye neenzuzo eziqikelelweyo,” utshilo uRivero.
Lo mthetho mtsha uqala ukusebenza emva nje kokuba upapashwe kwiRejista yeSizwe. Ukunciphisa okukhulu komngcipheko womhlaza kuza kuvela ekunciphiseni ukukhutshwa kwe-ethylene oxide kunye ne-chloroprene. Izibonelelo kufuneka zihlangabezane neemfuno zokunciphisa i-ethylene oxide kwiminyaka emibini emva kokuba lo mthetho usebenze kwaye kufuneka zihlangabezane neemfuno ze-chloroprene zingadlulanga iintsuku ezingama-90 emva komhla wokuqalisa ukusebenza.
UVictoria Cann, isithethi se-arhente yokusingqongileyo yelizwe, iTexas Commission on Environmental Quality, uthe kwingxelo yakhe ukuba le arhente iza kuqhuba uphando ukuze ivavanye ukuthotyelwa kweemfuno zomthetho omtsha njengenxalenye yenkqubo yayo yokuthobela nokuqinisekisa ukuba imithetho iyathotyelwa.
Lo mthetho ujolise kwizixhobo ezikwiindawo zokwenza iikhemikhali ezikhupha ungcoliseko lomoya njengeenkqubo zokutshintshiselana kobushushu (izixhobo ezifudumeza okanye ezipholisa ulwelo), kunye neenkqubo ezifana nokukhupha umoya nokuvuthela umoya ezikhupha iigesi emoyeni.
Ukutshaya kwenzeka rhoqo ngexesha leenkampani ezintsha, ukuvalwa kwenkampani kunye nokungasebenzi kakuhle. ETexas, iinkampani zibike ukuba zikhupha i-1 yezigidi zeepawundi zongcoliseko olugqithisileyo ngexesha lokubanda kukaJanuwari. Abameli bezokusingqongileyo babize ezo ziganeko njengezithuba zokunyanzeliswa kokusingqongileyo ezivumela izakhiwo ukuba zingcolise ngaphandle kwesohlwayo okanye izigwebo phantsi kweemeko ezithile ezifana nexesha lemozulu embi okanye iintlekele zeekhemikhali.
Lo mthetho ufuna ukuba izibonelelo zenze ingxelo eyongezelelweyo yokuthobela imithetho kunye novavanyo lokusebenza emva kweziganeko ezinjalo.
Ixesha lokuthumela: Epreli-11-2024