The amount of ethylene oxide leaked last month was less than 6 pounds, said Sterigenics, the company that runs the sterilization plant. If it had been more than 10 pounds, the company would have been obligated to report the leak quickly to state regulators.
Just as with Sterigenics in Smyrna, BD Bard in Covington has a sterilization plant that uses ethylene oxide. The chemical, the cancer risks associated with it, and the Georgia facilities using the gas were detailed in a report last month by WebMD and Georgia Health News. That report sparked public outrage and scrutiny from officials.
“Consistent with company procedures, employees properly vacated the area and the incident was immediately investigated,” the statement said. “The source of the release was immediately identified and stopped. It was determined that less than six pounds of EO [ethylene oxide] was released from a used EO drum on which the valve was not completely closed after use.
State Sen. Jen Jordan, who represents part of the Smyrna area, said Tuesday that “today’s revelation that Sterigenics failed to disclose yet another leak at its facility just days before it entered into a rushed consent agreement with the state shows why public distrust of the facility is warranted.”
Health Health Latest News, Health Health Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: AOL Lifestyle - 🏆 704. / 51 Read more »
Source: politico - 🏆 381. / 59 Read more »
Source: YahooNews - 🏆 380. / 59 Read more »