Three industrial facilities in California have received exemptions from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), allowing them to emit ethylene oxide (EtO), a carcinogenic chemical, after the Trump administration streamlined the exemption process.
In March, the EPA announced a new policy enabling large stationary sources of air pollution to apply for exemptions via email, circumventing key Clean Air Act regulations that limit hazardous emissions. This policy affects nearly 200 pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, benzene, and formaldehyde.
The agency stated that exemptions could be granted based on national security interests and the unavailability of technology to implement regulatory standards.
Environmental advocacy groups reacted strongly to this development, characterizing the email exemption offer as an “inbox from hell.”
As of now, at least 340 facilities nationwide have applied for or received exemptions, with significant numbers in Texas, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania, according to tracking data from the nonprofit Environmental Defense Fund. In California, three facilities belonging to Sterigenics, which specializes in industrial sterilization technology for medical devices and other products, have received approval for exemptions, with locations in Los Angeles and San Bernardino County.
The exemptions relate specifically to ethylene oxide, a colorless gas utilized for sterilizing medical devices that cannot be cleaned using traditional methods like steam or radiation. Approximately 50% of sterile medical devices in the U.S. undergo treatment with EtO.
While its utility is recognized, the EPA’s own assessments highlight significant health risks. Short-term exposure to ethylene oxide can lead to headaches, dizziness, nausea, and respiratory issues, while chronic exposure has been linked to cancers of the white blood cells, such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and breast cancer. Children are particularly vulnerable to its adverse health effects.
Will Barrett, the assistant vice president for nationwide clean air policy at the American Lung Association, expressed concerns over the consequences of granting such exemptions, which could increase public exposure to cancer-causing pollutants.
Barrett stated, “The public counts on these types of protections to ensure that their families are limiting their exposures to cancer-causing and other health risk-inducing pollutants.” He emphasized that undermining these protections could have severe health implications.
In contrast, the Biden administration has initiated measures to reinforce regulations on ethylene oxide, aiming to slash emissions from commercial sterilizers by 90% by mid-2026, thereby enhancing safety for communities near these facilities.
While the Biden administration’s focus is on public health and safety, the Trump administration contended that stringent regulations could impose severe burdens on commercial sterilization facilities, potentially risking the availability of sterile medical devices for patients in need.
In a July executive order, President Trump noted the necessity of ethylene oxide in ensuring optimal health outcomes for patients, listing around 40 facilities, including those owned by Sterigenics, as recipients of exemptions from EtO compliance deadlines.
A spokesperson for Sterigenics asserted that the company is committed to operating safe facilities while adding enhancements to further reduce EtO emissions. According to data, the Sterigenics plants in Vernon emitted a combined 78 pounds of EtO in 2024, whereas the Ontario facility released 612 pounds, compared to 6,894 pounds from the Union Carbide plant in Louisiana, which also received an exemption.
Sterigenics has previously faced scrutiny, notably in 2022, when the South Coast Air Quality Management District issued violation notices for improper handling of ethylene oxide.
Despite claims by the Trump administration citing a lack of available technology to conform to stricter standards, the Biden administration proceeded with finalizing regulations, with Ellen Robo from the Environmental Defense Fund asserting that such technology must exist for the rules to be implemented.
Robo noted, “The standards that are now being ignored by these exemptions were carefully considered, and they are being allowed to pollute in these communities with very little notice.”
There are at least ten more sterilization plants in California governed by ethylene oxide standards, likely applying for similar exemptions in various counties, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, Riverside, Sacramento, and Marin.
The EPA’s recent exemptions are not limited to ethylene oxide; they extend to other hazardous emissions regulations, including mercury and air toxics, polymers and resins, rubber tires, copper smelting, and coal power.
Critics have raised alarms about the dangers posed by such pollutants, emphasizing their links to cancer and developmental issues in children and infants. The exemption framework requires applicants to justify their inability to meet emissions reduction goals and the national security significance of the exemption. An email application does not guarantee approval, as the president will assess each case individually.
The two-year exemptions are potentially renewable, which has raised further concerns about ongoing pollution and its impact on public health.
Though California has been granted fewer exemptions than some other states, its air quality remains among the poorest in the nation, with San Bernardino recently ranked as the most polluted county for ozone and particle pollution. Los Angeles has been cited as the smoggiest city for 25 of the last 26 years.
Barrett remarked, “For the millions and millions of people — and hundreds of thousands of children — living with asthma and other respiratory illnesses, any erosion of clean air protections under the Clean Air Act is a real step backward.” He underscored the importance of adhering to established scientific literature that underscores the severe health impacts of air pollution.
As multiple facilities begin to leverage newfound exemptions, the push for tighter regulations and stricter enforcement of environmental protections remains a pivotal issue in California and beyond.
image source from：latimes
