A federal appeals court has vacated EPA’s 2024 methylene chloride rule, wiping away restrictions and workplace requirements that would have imposed significant new compliance obligations on manufacturers. The Fifth Circuit found legal errors in EPA’s approach and concluded that key parts of the agency’s decision were not supported by substantial evidence.

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association (OMA) raised many of the same concerns before the rule was finalized. In 2023 comments, OMA warned EPA against layering a new federal workplace chemical program on top of existing OSHA standards and urged the agency to recognize how manufacturers already manage methylene chloride safely in regulated workplaces.

“This is a big win for common-sense regulation,” said James Lee, OMA managing director of public policy services. “Manufacturers should not be forced to navigate overlapping federal rules that ignore existing workplace protections and real-world manufacturing practices. OMA raised those concerns three years ago, and this decision shows why it was important to speak up.”

OMA also warned that a broad restriction could disrupt critical manufacturing applications where no viable substitute exists, including certain uses involving acrylic and polycarbonate bonding.

The rule now goes back to EPA for further consideration. For manufacturers, the decision removes near-term compliance burdens while giving the agency another opportunity to craft a rule that better reflects actual conditions of use in industrial workplaces. 9/22/2026