Don't Waste Arizona, Inc.

High Levels Of The Carcinogen Ethylene Oxide
Found in Phoenix By The EPA

Ethylene Oxide (EtO) is a potent carcinogen and respiratory irritant used and released into the air by medical sterilization facilities. If as little as 10 pounds of EtO is accidentally released into the air, the federal government has to be immediately notified. ETO is an organic oxidizing agent that harms lung tissue when inhaled. Acute exposures to EtO gas may result in respiratory irritation and lung injury, headache, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, and cyanosis. Chronic exposure has been associated with the occurrence of cancer, reproductive effects, mutagenic changes, neurotoxicity, and sensitization.  

Communities in Illinois, Georgia, and Texas where EtO has been detected in the air have very high rates of cancer, often 9-10 times normal cancer rates, and breathing issues. Don’t Waste Arizona learned about EtO when it helped stop a proposed EtO medical sterilization facility in Tucson by informing the Tucson City Council and Pima Board of Supervisors about the incredible risks from day-to-day emissions and also in the case of an accidental spill of this chemical. 

The USEPA has been conducting air monitoring for this chemical in various locations in the US for a few years, but Phoenix has always had, by far, the highest levels of EtO found anywhere! Recently, USEPA proposed action standards for EtO, and the levels in Phoenix area air are above those. There were two monitoring sites, miles apart, one in central Phoenix and another in South Phoenix, with virtually the same high levels. Given what we know from air emissions modeling gained from 30+ years of commenting on proposed air permits, we knew that there had to be large amounts of this chemical being illegally released in Phoenix for these high levels to be in Phoenix air. There are two facilities in the east valley that have some EtO emissions, but these are downwind from Phoenix, with prevailing winds blowing away from Phoenix, so any EtO in Phoenix air wouldn’t be from them. Releasing any EtO into the air without an air permit for releasing this Hazardous Air Pollutant would be a criminal act.  

We reached out in March 2023 to Governor Hobbs, Phoenix Mayor Gallego, the Phoenix City Council, and Karen Peters, acting director of ADEQ, whose approval by the state senate is still pending. No one responded. When he was approached with our concerns by a member, State Representative Dr. Amish Shah assisted us by asking the Democratic Party liaison for the state house to ask Karen Peters to respond. That pushed her to have the meeting. Email sent to Governor Hobbs, Mayor Kate Gallego and ADEQ Director Karen Peters with link to study.  

Steve Brittle, President, met with her to urge her to investigate to determine who or what entities were illegally releasing this super-dangerous carcinogen into Phoenix air. He explained that we have learned hospitals, medical care facilities, mortuaries, and other medical clinics are likely suspects, as these have been known in the past to utilize EtO.  

This would be a very quick and easy investigation. All Peters has to do was ask the Arizona Attorney General to investigate and subpoena the list of facilities receiving EtO in Phoenix from the chemical suppliers. Once that was acquired, merely checking this list to see if they did have the required air permit would literally take one day and doesn’t require large amounts of money! Instead of taking responsible action, Peters questioned the validity of the air monitoring. When asked about this, USEPA Region 9 asserted that the results were correct, even offering to explain it to her. If anything, their air monitoring for EtO was only questionable when only trace amounts were present. The National Air Toxics Monitoring staff also insisted their EtO monitoring results were fine. Peters thinks somehow waiting a year to 18 months for another round of monitoring is going to be her response! Steve Brittle asked her, "What happens if the same results come up? How will you defend not doing anything about this?" She agreed that at that point, she would be "concerned."  

Peters would rather protect the "unknown polluters" than the public! Further, Peters appears to be a career bureaucrat who administrates but she doesn’t seem to even grasp the fundamentals of environmental issues.  

Peters has not been confirmed, and if you think she shouldn’t be confirmed, please contact you state senator and demand she not be confirmed!