Schneider Statement on EPA’s Release of EtO Draft Risk Assessment
WASHINGTON – Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement in response to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) publishing a draft risk assessment for selected uses of EtO supporting registration review.
The next step in the FIFRA process would be to issue a proposed interim decision, which is used to outline the potential risk management options to address any potential risks of concern.
Schneider is the founder and co-leader of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on EtO.
Ethylene oxide is an industrial chemical used to sterilize medical equipment and manufacture products such as anti-freeze, among other applications. In 2016, the EPA listed EtO as a known carcinogen, however the agency has yet to release a rule regulating the use of the chemical by medical sterilizers, nor has the agency engaged with communities affected by EtO emissions. This inaction has created public concern in communities surrounding facilities that use EtO, including sites in Waukegan and Gurnee in the 10th Congressional District.