‘I lost my child.’ EPA bans chemical found in paint strippers that is tied to dozens of deaths
The EPA finalized a ban Tuesday on a chemical found in paint strippers that is linked to dozens of deaths.
Channel 2 Action News first told you about the danger in an investigation in 2019.
Lauren Atkins found her son Joshua slumped over, dead in February 2018.
Joshua had been using a paint stripper containing methylene chloride in his mom’s Pennsylvania home.
“Hurt, anger, sad, I mean I lost my child,” Atkins said.
An autopsy confirmed what killed him.
“There was no doubt what took my son’s life. It was methylene chloride inhalation,” Atkins said.
On Tuesday, the EPA finalized a ban on most uses of methylene chloride which is known to cause several types of cancer and even death.
The EPA said at least 88 people have died from acute exposure to methylene chloride since 1980.
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Rita Welch’s son John died nearly 20 years ago.
“I know what they’re going through. I know the pain,” Welch said.
John had an accident while working at this furniture stripping store outside Chattanooga, Tennessee. There was no autopsy done on John.
But OSHA cited and fined the business owner $1,500 for having high levels of methylene chloride.
Channel 2 Action News talked to the store owner off-camera, but they had no comment.
Rita hopes the EPA ban means no other family will lose a child like she has.
“I miss his smile. I miss his hugs,” Welch said.
The EPA will allow the use of methylene chloride in a few industrial settings.
The agency will have strict exposure limits and monitoring requirements to protect workers.
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