Jessica King, jessica.king@sierraclub.org
Washington, D.C. – Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking decisive action against harmful air pollution by finalizing a rule that will slash emissions of the hazardous air pollutant ethylene oxide (EtO) by 90 percent from commercial sterilizing facilities.
The final rule updates the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) under the Clean Air Act for ethylene oxide commercial sterilization facilities. Exposure to ethylene oxide emissions for workers and those living near sterilization facilities can cause a variety of life-threatening health impacts, including breast cancer, leukemia, and nervous system damage.
To ensure pollution control equipment is operating effectively, the EPA will require commercial sterilizers to continuously monitor EtO emissions and report emissions data quarterly. Additionally, the EPA will publicize emissions data to increase transparency around sources of EtO pollution, providing impacted communities with information about their air quality.
Ethylene oxide is considered one of the most carcinogenic chemicals the EPA regulates, and communities at the fenceline of commercial sterilizers currently experience cancer risks as high as 6,000 in one million. The EPA's final rule will bring the maximum cancer risk for communities at the fenceline of commercial sterilizers to the key cancer threshold of 100 in one million or lower.
In response, Sierra Club Senior Attorney Zachary Fabish released the following statement:
“Workers and communities living near the nearly 90 commercial sterilization facilities across the country are overwhelmingly and disproportionately burdened with exposure to EtO and other toxic chemicals, and have been sounding the alarm about the devastating impacts of this industrial pollution for decades. Today’s announcement is a critical step toward rectifying the injustices faced by those who have been most impacted by EtO pollution, and demonstrates the Biden EPA’s commitment to protecting the health of workers, their families, and communities nationwide.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.