BREAKING NEWS: U.S. EPA Final Rule Aims to Curb Air Pollution From Estimated 200 Chemical Plants

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency took additional steps toward reducing toxic air pollution with a new final rule issued 9 April 2024 that will curb ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene emissions from chemical plants.

Long-term exposure to EtO and chloroprene can increase the risk of certain types of cancer, such as lymphoma, leukemia, breast cancer, and liver cancer. The EPA expects the rule to better protect children, who are more susceptible to the effects of toxic chemicals and will be subject to greater exposure over the course of their lives. It also hopes to protect those who live near, work near, or go to school near a chemical plant and reduce their exposure to those chemicals.