Key Takeaways
What: In late January, EPA took the initial step of posting status reports on 25 facilities previously identified as high-risk based on known ethylene oxide (EO) emissions and facility location. EPA has committed to making community notifications regarding EO risks by May 31, 2021. On February 22, 2021, the EPA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) sent a letter to Acting Administrator Jane Nishida urging reconsideration of Administrator Wheeler’s January 4, 2021 decision that community outreach and notification regarding EO risks need not be immediate. Reconsideration could trigger community outreach on a shorter timeline and trigger concomitant community concerns (and, potentially, litigation) regarding EO.