About

The WVDEP started its fence line monitoring project at EtO-emitting sites in the Kanawha Valley in January 2022. The project uses EPA’s most recent approved method designed to measure low concentrations of EtO and consists of four rounds of sampling at eight different sites: Three (3) around the South Charleston facility, four (4) around the Institute facility, and one (1) background site – Guthrie, WV. A background site is an area with no known sources of EtO. Each round represents one 24-hour period.

The primary purpose of the monitoring is to determine the presence and concentration of EtO in the air.

Collectively, the results of the four (4) rounds of sampling, along with emissions and weather data from the days sampled, will be reviewed by both the WVDEP and EPA and compiled into a final report. This report will be made available to the public as soon as it is completed and will guide future actions taken by the agencies.

The WVDEP has received results from all four rounds of sampling.

The concentrations were measured in parts per billion (ppb) by volume. For comparison purposes, 1 ppb is equivalent to one second in a 32-year time span or one drop of water in an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

These concentrations are influenced by many factors, including wind and weather data, operations at the facilities, and background levels, which is why multiple rounds of sampling were being conducted.

These single data points, on their own, cannot be used to draw conclusions regarding the lifetime health risk associated with EtO.

Documents and Resources

• Eastern Research Group - Analytical Lab Sheets for First Sampling Event
• Eastern Research Group - Analytical Lab Sheets for Second Sampling Event
• Eastern Research Group - Analytical Lab Sheets for Third Sampling Event
• Eastern Research Group - Analytical Lab Sheets for Fourth Sampling Event

• Field Sampling Plan (FSP) for Additional Monitoring
• Field Sampling Plan (FSP)
• Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)

  Quality Assurance Project Plan for short-term EtO monitoring project.

• Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

  Standard operating procedure: Collection of Ethylene Oxide Samples Using Passive Sampling Technique

Additional Monitoring

Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) conducted an EtO sampling project for its South Charleston and Institute facilities that started in May 2022. The EPA-approved project sampled seven locations around both the South Charleston and Institute sites for seven weeks. Each round consisted of one 24-hour period.

Virtual Community Meeting About Ethylene Oxide

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that the chemical compound, ethylene oxide, poses significantly more risks to human health than previously thought. That compound is used at the Union Carbide, International Flavors and Fragrances/Specialty Products, and Covestro LLC chemical production facilities at Institute and South Charleston, WV. EPA and the WV Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) held a virtual meeting to provide members of the communities located near those facilities with information about ethylene oxide and its known health effects.

The WVDEP and U.S. EPA Region 3 held a virtual public meeting on Thursday, September 23, 2021 from 6 to 8 p.m. to provide provide details on EtO and the upcoming monitoring and modeling and to answer questions.

What Are the Health Risks of EtO?

According to the USEPA, short-term inhalation exposure to high concentrations of EtO can cause headache, dizziness, nausea, fatigue, respiratory irritation and, in some cases, vomiting and other types of gastrointestinal distress. Long-term exposure can irritate the eyes, skin, throat, and lungs, and harm the brain and nervous system, causing headaches, memory loss, and numbness.

Studies show breathing air containing elevated levels of EtO over many years can increase the risk of some types of cancers. Workers exposed to EtO are associated with an increased risk of cancers of the white blood cells, as well as an increased risk of breast cancer in females.

It is important to recognize that each type of cancer has its own risk factors, some of which are better understood than others. It is very rare that a specific cause can be found for any particular case of cancer. More information is available on the CDC’s Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR).

It should be noted that the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources’ Bureau for Public Health (BPH) conducted an initial assessment of the cancer registry for the areas of concern in Institute and South Charleston in December 2019 and did not identify elevated levels of the cancers associated with EtO in these areas.

What is DEP Doing to Address the Concerns of EtO?

The WVDEP is partnering with the USEPA, facilities that use EtO, communities, and other stakeholders to further identify and evaluate the sources of EtO emissions in West Virginia. The department’s efforts include:

• Immediately contacted the State Department of Health and Human Resources' (DHHR) Bureau for Public Health (BPH) for a review of the cancer registry for the areas identified by the EPA. BPH has not found elevated levels of the cancers associated with EtO in these areas.

• Gathered updated emissions data (2017) and weather data more representative of local conditions because the EPA's assessment used 2014 emissions data and weather data from Yeager Airport.

• Performed significantly more detailed, site-specific emissions modeling than previously done by the EPA. Modeling is a mathematical simulation, like weather forecasting models, used to predict the way pollutants behave in the atmosphere under different emission rates, weather, and operating scenarios.

• Requested the EPA to expedite their review of air regulations that govern EtO sources in West Virginia and across the country.

• Requested the facilities that emit EtO to commit, in writing, to voluntary work practices that go above and beyond what is required by state and federal regulations. ​The facilities have all committed to these voluntary practices.

• Conducted fence line monitoring around the EtO-emitting facilities in South Charleston and Institute in 2022.

• Issued a press release in 2019 outlining the new findings related to EtO.

• Created an EtO webpage and online mailing list to keep the public informed and provide updates.

• Hosted meetings with state and local elected officials and the public in the fall of 2021.

• Hosted in-person public meetings in March (Dunbar) and August (North Charleston) 2022.

• Has and will continue to participate in Community Advisory Panels (CAPs) for the South Charleston and Institute areas. CAPs are monthly meetings between citizens and industry representatives designed to increase communication and transparency. To learn more about a CAP, contact Mary Green at mgreen@magc.info.

• Has and will continue to provide updates on EtO and other environmental topics via virtual town hall meetings with the agency’s Environmental Advocate. These meetings are open to all citizens.

• Continuing to enforce existing state and federal regulations, and permits, including those relating to EtO emissions.

What is USEPA Doing to Reduce EtO Nationally?

The USEPA regularly reviews Clean Air Act regulations for facilities that emit hazardous air pollutants, including EtO, to ensure that they protect the public from significant risk. In addition, they are beginning work to review other regulations for facilities that emit EtO.

The following existing federal rules addressing industries using or producing EtO are under review for updates, with their anticipated final date:

• Commercial sterilizers, 2022

• Hospital sterilizers, 2023

• Group 1 polymers and resins (neoprene), 2024

• Synthetic organic chemicals manufacturing industry, 2024

• Polyether polyols production, 2024

• Chemical manufacturing area sources, 2024

Unknowns About EtO

There are still many unanswered questions regarding EtO, and the risk of exposure to low levels of EtO is not well understood. The USEPA is working to find answers to questions such as:

• Why is EtO found in areas with no known sources and what are those sources?

• How do the ambient levels of EtO vary nationally and seasonally across the country?

• How long does EtO persist in the atmosphere?

• What is its involvement of atmospheric chemistry and transport?

• What are the best methods for measuring EtO in real-time and/or at the source?

• How can methods used to monitor for EtO be improved?

• What are the next steps if the presence of EtO is confirmed to be everywhere?

While the USEPA and State air agencies are working together to better understand emissions in areas identified by the 2014 NATA, national air quality data shows that total emissions of air toxics are declining, and the concentrations of many air toxics are trending downward.

For the latest information from the USEPA, please visit EPA’s Actions on Ethylene Oxide webpage.

Further Reading

• EPA's Work to Understand Background Levels of Ethylene Oxide

Union Carbide Corporation

Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) is appreciative of the opportunity to communicate with the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection (WVDEP) regarding its commitment to reducing ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions at our facilities at Institute and South Charleston. We understand our responsibility to the community in which we operate and use the best available science and technology, and advanced monitoring capabilities, to reduce EtO emissions. UCC is committed to high operational and safety practices that meet or exceed current federal and state regulations and align with our Company’s own aggressive sustainability goals. We have proactively worked to reduce fugitive EtO emissions by:

1. Repairing components with detected leaks at detection levels lower than what is considered a leak by applicable regulation

2. Voluntarily increasing monitoring frequency of potential leak points more than required by the regulation

3. Reducing the number of fugitive components by replacing the components with welded connections.

UCC is very proud of our teams who safely operate our facilities and will continue to explore proactive measures to further reduce EtO emissions.

Covestro, LLC

Covestro is focused on the health and safety of our employees and the residents of the community surrounding our South Charleston facility. Our facility was designed to minimize potential emissions of ethylene oxide and we continually monitor our systems and equipment in accordance with the EPA and DEP management programs, and as such, operate well within the applicable regulations. We are closely following the developments surrounding ethylene oxide, including working with the EPA and DEP, and we are committed to operating our plant safely.

Covestro continuously reviews our emissions management protocols across our entire operation, including ethylene oxide, and actively surpasses EPA requirements with regard to our monitoring program. This includes monitoring potential leak points more often than the current EPA requirements as well as taking action to correct any detected leaks at levels below current EPA requirements. Covestro is committed to working with our industry partners and the WV DEP to appropriately respond to the DEP assessment in the best interest of our employees and our community.

Specialty Products US, LLC

Specialty Products US, LLC exceeds regulatory requirements by conducting monitoring more frequently than required, making proactive repairs and consistently evaluating opportunities for improvement.