EPA to Host Sept. 20 Community Meeting for Franklin, Hardyston, Hamburg, New Jersey Residents

Community meeting will focus on informing residents about potential health risks from a nearby sterilizer plant

Contact: John Senn, 212-637-3662, senn.john@epa.gov

NEW YORK (September 12, 2022) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Hardyston Township and the Borough of Franklin will host a virtual community meeting for residents of Franklin, Hardyston, and Hamburg, New Jersey to share information about health risks from the chemical ethylene oxide or EtO, which is being emitted from a facility called Cosmed of NJ.

The community meeting will take place on September 20 at 6:30 p.m. at 149 Wheatsworth Road, Hardyston, NJ 07419 with a virtual option to participate on Zoom.

During the meeting EPA staff will discuss potential risks for nearby residential and commercial properties associated with emissions from the Cosmed NJ facility located at 19 Park Drive in Franklin, N.J.

Ethylene oxide – also known as EtO – is a human carcinogen emitted by some commercial sterilizers.

EPA analysis indicates that the air near the Cosmed NJ facility does not exceed short-term health benchmarks. However, the concern is that a lifetime of exposure to EtO emissions could lead to long-term health impacts if risk levels are not reduced. EPA is working with facilities like this one to take appropriate steps to reduce emissions. Later this year, EPA expects to propose an air pollution regulation to protect public health by requiring more controls on EtO emissions from commercial sterilizers.

“EPA wants to make sure we are giving people the most up to date information about the risks posed by EtO and at the same time discuss what actions may already be underway or planned to reduce risk from this facility in their area,” said Lisa F. Garcia, EPA Regional Administrator. “We also want to engage the public as we develop new regulations with the benefit of our current understanding of the risk posed by EtO. EPA’s actions will be strengthened by this input.”

Meeting Details:

Community Information Session Meeting in-person on Tuesday, September 20, 2022; 6:30pm

To attend virtually via Zoom - Register for the September 20 meeting and learn more about this facility.

EPA is taking significant action to address EtO and advance critical EtO research. These actions include:

• Reviewing Clean Air Act regulations for industries that emit EtO into the air, particularly rules to control air toxic emissions from commercial sterilizers and facilities that manufacture chemicals,
• Working with state, territory, local and tribal environmental agencies to reduce EtO emissions,
• Expanding environmental reporting requirements for sterilization facilities,
• EPA is committed using enforcement options as appropriate,
• Reevaluating how EtO is used within sterilization facilities with the goal of reducing risks to workers who handle EtO and those who are exposed in other ways,
• Conducting research to better understand and measure EtO.

For more information about the EPA’s efforts to address ethylene oxide.

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