EPA Proposes Rollback of Ethylene Oxide Emissions Rules, Raising Health Concerns

Public health advocates warn the move could put millions of Americans at risk of cancer-causing exposure

Mar. 14, 2026 at 11:19pm

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The Trump administration's Environmental Protection Agency has proposed rolling back Obama-era rules that would have significantly reduced emissions of the cancer-causing gas ethylene oxide from medical sterilization facilities. Public health groups warn this 'dangerous decision' could put millions of Americans living near these facilities at higher risk of exposure to the toxic fumes.

Why it matters

Ethylene oxide is crucial for sterilizing medical devices, but long-term exposure has been linked to leukemia and other cancers. The previous EPA rules aimed to cut emissions by over 90% and lower cancer risks by 92%, but the new proposal would undo those protections. This disproportionately impacts communities of color and non-English speakers living near sterilization plants.

The details

The EPA's proposed policy change would amend 2024 emissions standards that the agency estimated would have eliminated over 90% of dangerous ethylene oxide pollution. Public health advocates argue the Trump administration is 'bending the knee to the sterilizer industry at the expense of millions of people's health.' Nearly 14 million Americans live within 5 miles of a commercial sterilization facility, and over 10,000 schools and daycares are in those areas.

  • The EPA proposal was announced on Friday, March 14, 2026.
  • The previous 2024 emissions standards were cheered by groups like Earthjustice.

The players

Lee Zeldin

US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator under the Trump administration.

Deena Tumeh

Senior attorney at Earthjustice, an environmental advocacy group.

Darya Minovi

Senior analyst at the Union of Concerned Scientists' Center for Science and Democracy.

Jane Williams

Executive director of California Communities Against Toxics and chair of the Sierra Club National Clean Air Team.

Tricia Cortez

Executive director of Rio Grande International Study Center in Texas.

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What they’re saying

“The 2024 standards would have delivered enormous public health benefits. EPA knows that ethylene oxide is carcinogenic and determined that sterilizers can install effective and affordable pollution controls.”

— Deena Tumeh, Senior attorney, Earthjustice

“This dangerous decision puts people across the United States and in Puerto Rico at a higher risk of breathing dangerous fumes known to cause respiratory irritation, nausea, blurred vision, headaches, and various cancers. Children are especially vulnerable to the cancer-causing harms of ethylene oxide exposure.”

— Darya Minovi, Senior analyst, Union of Concerned Scientists' Center for Science and Democracy

“Walking back key regulations for ethylene oxide sterilizer facilities is essentially giving a highly polluting industry a get-out-of-jail-free card. Sterilizers are some of the largest, most toxic chemical manufacturing facilities in the country.”

— Jane Williams, Executive director, California Communities Against Toxics and chair, Sierra Club National Clean Air Team

“Sterilizer facilities like Midwest must be held accountable for their dangerous, cancer-causing emissions. We need an EPA that works to protect us, the people, not financial interests and corporations that continue to cause so much harm to so many.”

— Tricia Cortez, Executive director, Rio Grande International Study Center

What’s next

The EPA proposal now faces a 45-day public comment period before a final decision is made.

The takeaway

This rollback of emissions controls for ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen, prioritizes industry profits over public health, especially for vulnerable communities living near sterilization facilities. It underscores the need for an EPA that puts science and environmental protection first, not corporate interests.