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Schneider Statement on EPA’s Release of EtO Draft Risk Assessment

November 19, 2020

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.

"We have known for decades that EtO poses profound risks to human health, and the EPA has recognized this for years. This draft risk assessment is a necessary step in informing the EPA's ultimate responsibility in protecting public health from EtO. But the EPA continues to delay and fall short in doing what's necessary to protect the public from EtO. My colleagues and I on the bipartisan EtO Task Force will continue to do everything we can to hold the EPA accountable for doing its duty under the law to protect our constituents in communities exposed to EtO across the country."

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.