The Covington plant uses ethylene oxide to sterilize urinary catheters, feeding tubes, stents and other items that hospitals rely on. But it and other medical device plants that use ethylene oxide have faced increasing scrutiny over concerns about cancer. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency classified ethylene oxide as a human carcinogen in 2016 and has flagged some areas near plants that emit it for potentially elevated cancer risks. Earlier this year, Illinois authorities closed a large plant owned by sterilization company Sterigenics after detecting high outdoor levels of the gas. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN...Georgia went to court earlier this month seeking a temporary closure of the Covington plant.

Source: thestar October 28, 2019 18:33 UTC