Another facility is being probed

Pollution agency issues notices of violation stemming from equipment issues at Sterigenics

The South Coast Air Quality Management District is now investigating Sterigenics in both Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties after finding elevated levels of a carcinogen at one of the company’s facilities in Ontario.

The air quality regulator issued two notices of violation to Sterigenics in Ontario on June 30 for failing to maintain its equipment and failing to report equipment breakdowns in a timely manner, according to a press release.

Monitoring at the Ontario facility detected ethylene oxide, which the company uses to sterilize medical devices, at concentrations as much as 43 times the allowable level. Ethylene oxide is an odorless and colorless gas also used in detergents and antifreeze. Short-term exposure can cause headaches, difficulty breathing and nausea, while long-term exposure, over the course of several years, increases the risks of lymphoid and breast cancers.

The preliminary monitoring data indicated the ethylene oxide levels dropped off significantly within a short distance from the site. The AQMD’s primary concern is for nearby workers in the industrial area, according to the news release.

This is now the second Sterigenics facility in Southern California where dangerous levels of ethylene oxide have been detected. The AQMD already has issued three notices of violations to Sterigenics’ other facilities in Vernon since April and recently designated that location as a “potentially high risk” facility. Such a designation requires companies to provide a report within 90 days detailing the actions the company will take in the short term to mitigate exposure, including the potential scaling back of its operations.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Janice Hahn called for the temporary shuttering of the Vernon facilities in response to the ongoing investigation. The Board of Supervisors also passed a motion blocking the county from entering into any contracts with Sterigenics in the meantime.

Other problems

The Ontario Sterigenics site was previously identified as potentially problematic in other investigations, too.

In June 2019, Cal/OSHA cited Sterigenics’ facilities in Ontario for employees not using personal protective equipment, a lack of written safety information for processing hazardous materials, and for not having a safety review prior to using hazardous materials. The company paid a $900 fine.

In November, ProPublica released an analysis of more than 1,000 toxic “hot spots” across the country that included the Sterigenics facilities in Vernon and Ontario on the list. The analy

sis, which utilized five years of data, determined that the cancer risk near the Ontario facility was 3.3 times higher than the EPA’s acceptable risk level, according to Capital and Main.

A company spokesperson previously denied any problems at the Ontario facility and said the ProPublica investigation did not “accurately reflect the current emissions control technology” at that location. Both of the pieces of equipment identified by the AQMD as not being properly maintained related to the removal of contaminants from emissions, according to the notices of violation.

The AQMD’s increased scrutiny of Sterigenics and other ethylene oxide users was prompted by a change in federal regulations earlier this year. There are five companies that use ethylene oxide for medical device sterilization in Southern California, including the two Sterigenics’ locations. The other companies are in Carson, Temecula and San Diego.