US EditionUS proposes easing limits on cancer-causing gas used to clean medical devices
The EPA says easing rules will save sterilization facilities $630 million over 20 years and protect medical supply chains, while critics warn it raises cancer risks for 14 million nearby residents.
- On March 13, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed rolling back Biden-era limits on ethylene oxide used to sterilize medical devices, announcing the change in Washington.
- The 2024 rule stemmed from an EPA reassessment showing much higher toxicity, prompting stricter controls and an April 6, 2026 compliance deadline after companies began installing equipment.
- About 90 commercial sterilization facilities, including roughly a dozen in California, expose workers and nearby residents to long-term cancer risks linked to ethylene oxide.
- The EPA said the plan would save an estimated $43 million annually and safeguard medical device manufacturers, opening a 45-day public comment period and public hearing in about 15 days.
- This move raises concerns for affected communities, including communities of color, as EPA data show the proposal could subject at least 85,000 more people to unacceptable cancer risks.
24 Articles
24 Articles
EPA Wants to Cut Biden Limits on Carcinogen Emissions
The EPA on Friday moved to dial back its policing of a cancer-linked gas used to sterilize medical equipment, a new front in the Trump administration's deregulation efforts. The proposed rule would ease emission limits on ethylene oxide at about 90 commercial sterilization plants and scrap 24/7 monitoring requirements, with...
EPA moves to roll back Biden regulation on medical sterilizer linked to cancer
The Environmental Protection Agency has moved to scrap Biden-era regulations on ethylene oxide, a gas used in medical sterilization plants that has been linked to cancer. The agency under the Biden administration significantly tightened restrictions on gas in 2024, aiming to cut emissions by more than 90%, after the EPA determined that ethylene oxide is far more toxic than previously thought. The EPA previously said there is a link between ethy…
EPA Aims to Weaken Limits on Cancer-Linked Gas Used to Sterilize Medical Equipment
(MedPage Today) -- The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed Friday to weaken air pollution limits on a chemical used to sterilize medical equipment, a move that would reverse a Biden administration finding of high cancer risks at manufacturing...
EPA proposes weaker pollution limits for chemical used to sterilize medical devices
Ethylene oxide plays a crucial role in sterilizing lifesaving medical devices, including pacemakers and syringes, but long-term exposure can cause leukemia and other types of cancer among people who work at medical sterilization facilities or live nearby.
Trump EPA moves to repeal regulation of cancer-linked chemical ethylene oxide
Many medical devices need to be sterile to be used safely. But sterilizing a pacemaker, catheter, or other device with steam or heat could damage its structural integrity. So medical device manufacturers turn to the chemical compound ethylene oxide, which is highly effective at killing microbes at low concentrations and allows companies to meet the Food and Drug Administration’s strict sterility standards. As a result, roughly half of all medica…
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