The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and several local New Jersey governments will host a virtual community meeting for residents of Franklin, Hardyston, and Hamburg 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.
To attend virtually via Zoom – residents mregister for the September 20 meeting and learn more about this facility.
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 EPA Regional Administrator Lisa F. Garcia. “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.”