Originally published in Law360, New York (July 03, 2012, 12:16 PM ET)

For properties where chlorinated solvents have been released, new regulatory challenges and related liability concerns are increasing as a result of controversial human health studies recently published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The following summarizes the new challenges and presents recommendations for addressing them.

Issues Presented by Chlorinated Solvents

Properties with chlorinated solvent contamination are already particularly difficult to clean up to meet regulatory standards. The two chlorinated solvents most typically of concern are tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a chemical long used in dry cleaning, and trichloroethylene (TCE), used in part for washing and degreasing activities.