Labor unions and environmental groups are dropping their challenges against a Biden-era chemical rule they previously argued was not protective enough.
The United Steelworkers and United Auto Workers asked the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday to drop its petition challenging EPA’s risk management rule for trichloroethylene but stay on as intervenors in the case.
It’s a legal strategy switch that puts the groups in a better place to defend the rule from being substantially weakened given nearly a dozen industry group petitioners and the Trump administration’s anticipated rollbacks. Trichloroethylene is a widely used industrial chemical determined to cause liver and kidney tumors and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
“The question was whether we should force the courts to do more,” said Randy Rabinowitz, an attorney with the Occupational Safety and Health Law Project representing USW and UAW. “We decided it didn’t make a whole lot of sense to push the court for stronger protections.”
