Taunton plant is named by EPA as posing potential health risks, company pushes back

Professional Contract Sterilization in Taunton sterilizes medical equipment, including bandages. The Environmental Protection Agency said emissions from the company's plant could pose health risks to the surrounding community.

One of those facilities is Professional Contract Sterilization, Inc. in Taunton. The company uses ethylene oxide — or EtO — to sterilize everything from ace bandages to hip implants to artificial organs. In the U.S.,PCS forcefully pushed back against the EPA’s health warnings on Wednesday. The company's president, Gary Cranston, said requiring sterilizers to reduce emissions too much could drive U.S. companies out of business.

While short-term or infrequent exposure to ethylene oxide does not appear to pose a health risk, EPA said long-term or lifetime exposure to the chemical could lead to a variety of health impacts, including lymphoma and breast cancer. “Today, EPA is taking action to ensure communities are informed and engaged in our efforts to address ethylene oxide, a potent air toxic posing serious health risks with long-term exposure,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan said in a statement Wednesday. The agency said it is working with commercial sterilizers to take appropriate steps to reduce emissions.in each of the communities where elevated risks have been found, including a webinar scheduled for August 10.

Source: News Formal (newsformal.com)

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