Green groups challenge Biden chemical pollution standard, saying it’s not strong enough

A coalition of environmental advocacy groups is suing the Biden administration over a regulation meant to reduce pollution from chemical plants, arguing that it does not go far enough. 

In a press statement accompanying their suit, national organizations the Environmental Integrity Project, Earthjustice and the Sierra Club as well as environmental groups in California and Texas say that the rules allow for too much ethylene oxide, a carcinogen, to be released. 

They also said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) underestimates how much ethylene oxide chemical plants emit. 

“The EPA’s underestimation of the risks posed by chemical facilities puts nearby communities in grave danger,” said Earthjustice Attorney Deena Tumeh in a written statement. 

“We must address these shortcomings to ensure the safety and well-being of all affected neighborhoods,” Tumeh added. 

Ethylene oxide is used to sterilize medical devices and spices. 

It’s also a carcinogen linked to white blood cell and breast cancer, according to the EPA. Animal studies have also linked it to brain cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

An EPA spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

When it issued the rule, the EPA said that it was expected to dramatically reduce toxic chemical pollution and the cancer cases that come with it — making companies cut their emissions by nearly 80 percent. 

A recent study of ethylene oxide in an industrial area of Louisiana known as “Cancer Alley” found the chemical at levels much higher than expected, which a researcher said suggests that facilities there are underreporting emissions by a factor of between two and 10.