New EPA rules could cut EtO emissions by 80% in South Memphis
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed new regulations for facilities that use a cancer-causing chemical to sterilize medical equipment that could mean fewer emissions locally. Vera Holmes points to the Sterilization Services of Tennessee building on a map during a Mallory Heights CDC meeting in January at the South Branch Library to inform residents about their cancer risk from Ethylene Oxide emissions from Sterilization Services of Tennessee. (Brad Vest/Special to The Daily Memphian)
However, it could take years for the proposed regulations, which would govern emissions of a cancer-causing chemical, to be finalized and enforced.
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ethylene oxide Environmental Protection Agency Memphis Community Against PollutionKeely Brewer
Keely Brewer is a Report for America corps member covering environmental impacts on communities of color in Memphis. She is working in partnership with the Ag & Water Desk, a sustainable reporting network aimed at telling water and agriculture stories across the Mississippi River Basin.
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