Following Call by EtO Task Force, EPA Affirms EtO Health Risk Determination

WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Brad Schneider (IL-10), founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ethylene Oxide Task Force, released the following statement about the Environmental Protection Agency's Decision to stand by the 2016 IRIS Value of ethylene oxide (EtO):

"As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional EtO Task Force, today's announcement is a huge win for communities affected by EtO pollution. In the face of industry calling for a weaker standard, for years we have pushed the EPA to uphold the IRIS value for EtO. It has been one of the Task Force's top priorities, and today we applaud the EPA for listening and acting to protect public health," Schneider said.

After years of advocacy from Schneider and the Congressional EtO Task Force, the EPA announced today that it will continue relying on the agency's 2016, peer-reviewed IRIS value. The IRIS value guides how dangerously the Agency views EtO and how strictly the EPA will regulate the chemical going forward. The 2016 IRIS value showed that EtO is significantly more toxic and harmful to surrounding communities than was previously understood. By locking the 2016 value into agency regulations, the EPA is demonstrating commitment to preserving public health and protecting affected communities.

Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) and Congressman Jody Hice (GA-10) founded the bipartisan Congressional EtO Task Force with members from Illinois, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. The Task Force advocates for stricter regulation of EtO to protect public health. EtO is an industrial chemical used in chemical manufacturing sterilize medical devices. Since 2016, EtO has been deemed a "known carcinogen" and the release of the 2018 National Air Toxics Assessment identified several Illinois communities facing dangerously high EtO emissions.

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For Immediate Release

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Contact: Matt Fried

(202) 941-9386