Grade A-Rated US Gas Sites Released 3.2 Million Pounds Of Carcinogens In 2022

Despite receiving top safety ratings, dozens of gas facilities across the United States released a cancer-causing chemical into the air in 2022. The chemical is called ethylene oxide, or EtO. It’s a colorless, odorless gas used to sterilize medical devices and food products. It’s also used in chemical manufacturing.

The EPA classified EtO as a human carcinogen back in 2016. Long-term exposure has been linked to leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and potentially breast cancer as well. Yet emissions from facilities across the country have continued at alarming levels.

Recent air testing showed concentrations averaging 10 times higher than safe long-term exposure limits. Some samples came in at 3,000 times above safe levels.

Air testing revealed EtO concentrations averaging 10 times above safe limits — with some samples reaching 3,000 times higher.

Johns Hopkins University professors conducted the testing using a mobile lab. They found levels as high as 30 parts per billion in some areas, which scientists say isn’t safe to breathe. Testing took place in areas including Louisiana’s Cancer Alley.

Nearly 100 facilities nationwide use EtO to sterilize an estimated more than 20 billion pieces of medical equipment each year. That’s roughly about half of all medical equipment sterilized in the US.

Dozens more facilities emit EtO during chemical production. In total, over 100 sites have been reported for EtO use across the country.

In 2022, the EPA identified 15 sterilizers as high-risk due to elevated cancer rates in nearby communities. The agency had also finalized rules to cut EtO emissions by 90% and required new testing at facilities.

But those efforts hit a wall.

The White House granted exemptions to facilities, including the same 15 high-risk sterilizers the EPA had flagged. Officials justified the move by saying shutting down these plants could disrupt the medical equipment supply. Facilities seeking relief reportedly submitted waiver requests via a dedicated White House email portal set up specifically for that purpose.

The industry had also reportedly raised concerns about the costs of the rules and whether the limits were even achievable. These industries have consistently prioritized profits over environmental health when faced with costly compliance requirements.

Public health experts and the EPA have both raised concerns about what unchecked emissions mean for people living near these sites. Residents in Louisiana’s Cancer Alley reported that we are sick and dying as community members documented unusually high cancer rates tied to years of industrial chemical exposure. Investigations into EtO emissions and their links to cancer clusters have been ongoing for years, with more reporting expected on how the exemptions are affecting nearby communities.

✅ Claims in this article were verified using AI-assisted fact-checking.