Demetria and Ted Dixon arrived at the Gravel Hill Community Center in Varina last Thursday night. They were there to raise awareness among their neighbors and learn more themselves about an odorless, colorless chemical called ethylene oxide.
The Dixons only recently learned about the chemical, even though they had lived near a facility that emitted tens to thousands of pounds of the chemical annually for 20 years.
“So I had to do a little research because I didn’t know anything,” Demetria said.
“One (facility) is probably about a mile and a half from us,” Ted said. “They’re using chemicals…that cause big health problems.”
Ted said the symptoms were due to a lifelong battle with asthma, and that this chemical was involved. Because of his work, he was often away from home for long periods of time, and his respiratory problems worsened each time he returned home. Demetria added that some family members living in the area have developed breast cancer, which is strongly linked to exposure to ethylene oxide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
There may be other causes for these symptoms and conditions in this area, but it was enough to heighten their concern.
Ethylene oxide, also known as EtO, is used in a wide range of industries. It is used as an antifreeze and a sterilizing agent in various chemical processes and medical technology.
It’s also highly toxic, and there are two sterilization plants in the Greater Richmond area.
Sterilization services in Virginia, located in eastern Henrico County near Richmond International Airport, were identified in 2022 by the EPA’s Air Toxics Screening Assessment Tool as a leading contributor to increased cancer risk in the region.
Another facility, Central Virginia Health Network/Bon Secours Mercy Health, did not receive that designation. Located in Lakeside, we are less than 10 miles from our Sterilization Service Plant.
Patrick Larsen
/
VPM News
Ted and Demetria Dixon listen to a presentation about the dangers of ethylene oxide exposure during a conference Thursday, March 25, 2026, at the Gravel Hill Community Center in Henrico County, Virginia.
EtO has long been regulated for user safety and to limit emissions into the surrounding community.
But in 2016, the EPA found the chemical to be 60 times more carcinogenic than previously thought, said Marissa Rand, an attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center.
“Even small amounts of radiation exposure increase the risk of developing lymphatic cancer, myeloma, leukemia, and breast cancer,” Rand said at an event hosted by SELC and Virginia Interfaith Power and Light last week.
Several factors led to the EPA’s 2016 determination that EtO is more carcinogenic than previously thought.
- ‘Strong but not conclusive’ evidence that breast, blood and immune system cancers are more likely to occur in workers exposed to EtO
- ‘Extensive’ evidence that chemicals cause cancer in animal studies
- ‘Clear’ evidence that EtO alters and damages DNA and may cause EtO-related cancers
- ‘Strong’ evidence that humans exposed to EtO are expected to show ‘precursor phenomena’ such as DNA damage that can progress to tumors
The findings spurred a new rulemaking process, leading to new emissions regulations in 2024. The EPA estimates that national EtO emissions from sterilization facilities would be reduced by 90%.
But President Donald Trump took office before those regulations were implemented. The administration has granted Sterilization Services of Virginia and other sterilizers across the country a two-year extension to implement new controls. SELC is suing the federal government to maintain the 2024 standards.
In March, the EPA, under Secretary Lee Zeldin, proposed reversing the new standard entirely, arguing that the move was necessary to keep the medical sterilization industry operating effectively.
Abigail Tardif, administrator of the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation and a former oil industry lobbyist, explained the agency’s case during a virtual hearing Wednesday. He said EtO is an essential part of the healthcare system and is responsible for sterilizing more than half of all medical equipment in the United States each year.
“Without EtO, it would be impossible to build a national supply chain for medical devices such as heart valves, pacemakers, surgical kits, gowns, drapes, ventilators, syringes and catheters,” Tardif said.
He added that the EPA has concluded that the federal Clean Air Act only allows one risk assessment for a given pollutant. Because EtO’s risk review was already in place in 2006, the agency is now arguing that its own 2024 risk-based rules are illegal and should be struck down.
The majority of commenters at the hearing opposed EPA’s move to repeal the 2024 rule.
David Marsh, a former corporate EtO maintenance engineer at Sterigenics, was one of them. He argued in testimony Wednesday that the company knew about the link between EtO emissions and increased cancer rates in the community longer than the sterilization industry would admit, and that it failed to provide adequate safeguards despite efforts to detect chemical leaks.
According to federal court documents, Marsh has separately alleged that exposure to EtO during his time at Sterigenics led to the development of leukemia.
However, Katele Calleja of the Advanced Medical Technology Association said disruption in the medical technology industry could lead to delays in treatment.
“The use of ethylene oxide to sterilize medical devices has been and will continue to be safe,” Calleja said.
He said the industry has been supportive of adding emissions controls, but facilities are currently “stretched to their limits,” and that delays in working to add more controls “could jeopardize the timely delivery of medical technology to patients and cause delays in care.”
Jane Williams, president of the Sierra Club National Clean Air Team, disputed this, saying Southern California successfully implemented stricter regulations after suspending two large sterilization plants for exceeding emissions limits. He said this does not affect the supply chain.
While the federal government is calling for the standard to be lifted, residents of Varina and Central Virginia are calling for action at the local and state level.
Other states exceed federal standards. State Sen. Rashlexe Aird (D-Henrico) attended last week’s meeting and asked what other states could serve as a model for further restrictions in Virginia.
He told VPM News he will keep an eye on Georgia. Georgia requires a continuous emissions monitoring system and is taking steps to regulate warehouses that emit EtO, but it is not currently regulated by the federal government. He said developing an approach for Virginia will take time.
EPA is accepting public comments on the proposed 2024 rule repeal until May 1.
Disclosure: The Southern Environmental Law Center is a sponsor of VPM.
