A new federal rule that goes into effect 15 July aims to reduces emissions of ethylene oxide (EO), a gas used to sanitize medical equipment and a feedstock for products like antifreeze and polyurethane.
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule this spring to enforce stricter limitations on EO emissions from both petrochemical plants that make it and the facilities that use it. The rule is intended to eliminate 90pc of EO emissions from commercial medical equipment sterilizers and lower emissions from some 218 chemical plants in the US that make and emit EO.
The new rule would require pollution-control equipment installation, continuous emission monitoring, and quarterly reports to the EPA from facilities.
A 2023 study of air pollution in southeast Louisiana, where EO is manufactured by some 51 different petrochemical plants, found that EO made up 68pc of total emissions. EO levels exceeded 1,000 times prior measurements and were about 10 times higher than average EPA model, according to the study. The study, conducted by John Hopkins University and released this spring, measured hotspots using a mobile-air testing lab near the plants.
Industry groups have criticized the rule and how the EPA assesses EO. The Louisiana Chemical Association and the American Chemistry Council (ACC) said the method EPA uses to assess safe levels of EO and other chemicals in the environment is flawed, leading to measurements of the natural levels of the chemical in the environment being too low.
ACC said the rule could curtail the availability of everyday products that EO is used to produce and sterilize in industries from batteries to semiconductors to healthcare.
Environmental law organization Earthjustice was encouraged by the rule.
"We applaud the Biden-Harris administration for bringing a whole-government approach to confronting racial barriers to justice, reducing harm from toxic pollution and the cumulative impacts of environmental injustice to frontline communities," Earthjustice said.
The rule goes into effect on 15 July. Facilities have two years to install pollution-control equipment and monitoring and an additional 180 days to comply.
