The Environmental Protection Agency recently hosted an Aug. 30 community meeting for residents of Salinas, Puerto Rico.
The meeting was held to address health risks from the chemical ethylene oxide or EtO, according to an EPA news release. The chemical is being emitted from a facility called Steri-Tech Inc.
“EPA wants to make sure that we are giving people the best information about the risks posed by EtO and about what actions may already be underway or planned to reduce risks at these facilities,” EPA Regional Administrator Lisa Garcia said in the news release. “We also want to engage the public as we develop new regulations with the benefit of our current understanding of the risk posed by EtO.”
The EPA analysis states that air surrounding the Salinas facility is not greater than short-term health benchmarks, according to the release. However, the major concern is EtO lifetime emission exposure could result in long-term health impacts if there is a failure to reduce levels.
The EPA is collaborating with facilities like the Salinas facility to take appropriate action to lower emissions, the release reported. The EPA expects an air pollution regulation proposal to be introduced later this year that will protect public health by enforcing the requirement of more controls on EtO emissions as it relates to commercial sterilizers.
Discussing the potential risks related to emissions from the facility at Carretera 701 Km 0.7 Salinas Industrial Park, were Tomas Carbonell, EPA deputy associate assistant administrator for stationary sources in the Office of Air and Radiation; Lisa F. Garcia, the regional administrator for EPA Region 2; Amarilys Rosario Ortiz, the air director for the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources; and Salinas Mayor Bonilla Colon, according to the news release.
The news release states the EPA is reviewing Clean Air Act regulations for specific industries that release EtO into the air; working with state, territory, local and Tribal environmental agencies to lower EtO emissions; increasing environmental reporting requirements for facilities in sterilization; leveraging enforcement options when appropriate; reevaluating the use of EtO throughout sterilization facilities; performing research to improve the understanding and measurements of EtO; and the use of appropriate enforcement options.
