> Moral is that we need to be careful about making things worse with overly simplistic thinking.

The unspoken question in this statement is worse for who? I don’t believe that EPA is aiming its regulations at lab uses of methylene chloride, but if the rule leads to greener chemistries being explored, that could lead to unexpected discoveries of value in chemical processes.

As your note suggests alternatives need to be evaluated carefully, but I have seen successful substitutions for a variety of chemicals driven by compliance concerns. I have also seen unfortunate substitutions occur for the same reason. But I don’t think that the moral is as simple as the one you proposed.

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
ralph**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org

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