The EPA is required to regulate substances listed as hazardous air pollutants (HAP) under Clean Air Act (CAA) section 112(b). The HAP list includes substances that are air pollutants for which emissions, ambient concentrations, bioaccumulation or deposition of the substance are known or reasonably anticipated to cause adverse effects to human health or adverse environmental effects. The CAA requires the EPA to consider petitions to add or remove substances from the HAP list. On September 30, 2019, the EPA received a petition to remove 2-butoxyethyl benzoate (2-BEB) from the category of glycol ethers in the list of hazardous air pollutants (HAP) under CAA section 112(b)(3). The petitioner views 2-BEB as a potential replacement for phthalate plasticizers in certain formulations. The petitioner also finds that 2-BEB has the potential to lower VOC emissions and odor from paints. After determining that the petition was complete in August 2021, EPA conducted a technical evaluation of the petition. Based on this evaluation, EPA concurred with the petitioner’s conclusion that screening-level estimates of 2-BEB emissions provided were conservative and may not reasonably be anticipated to cause adverse effects to human health or the environment. Therefore, on December 22,    2025 EPA proposed to remove the chemical 2-BEB from the glycol ethers category in the HAP list.