Aug. 21-- Aug. 21--Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday demanded that a medical sterilization facility in Covington take "proactive measures" to install pollution controls, remarks made shortly before a town hall focused on toxic gas emissions at the site.

Question

The Republican said BD Bard should agree to adopt similar pollution controls as Sterigenics, a Cobb County plant, that entered a legal agreement with state regulators earlier this month to improve controls and minimize ethylene oxide emissions.

"This proactive measure demonstrates (Sterigenics') commitment to the local community and helps to restore confidence in its operations," Kemp said. "Now BD Bard should do the same."

The Kemp administration on Tuesday faced calls from Democratic state lawmakers in Cobb and U.S. Rep. David Scott, D-Atlanta, urging the state to shut down the Sterigenics facility in Smyrna until more testing can be done. Republican Congressman Barry Loudermilk, who also represents parts of Cobb, penned a letter to the EPA inquiring about their investigation into the matter.

Kemp's comments came shortly after meeting with Sterigenics and BD Bard executives to prod them to take new measures to "build trust" with outraged residents.

He described the meetings as productive but said "our work is not done."

Public pressure has grown on state and federal leaders to curb emissions of ethylene oxide at the plants, sparked last month by a WebMD and Georgia Health News report. The outlets highlighted a 2018 EPA study that warned of the potential for increased long-term risk of cancer around the two facilities from ethylene oxide.

The EPA released the 2018 National Air Toxics Assessment a year ago but didn't alert the public. The WebMD and Georgia Health News stories triggered ripples of fear in surrounding neighborhoods.

The EPA and state Environmental Protection Division have urged residents not to panic and say modeling with more recent emissions data show a lower risk than last year's assessment, which relied on self-reported datain 2014.

Sterigenics and BD have each said they are complying with state and federal regulations.

BD issued a statement that said it committed in writing Tuesday to spend $8 million to improve its systems and work with the state "to expedite the permitting process with full transparency to install these improvements as quickly as possible to the Covington and Madison facilities."

'Are they going to help us'

At a town hall in Covington on Tuesday, Richard Dunn, director of the state Environmental Protection Division, said the agency is working with BD to enact new emissions controls that will lead to a new permit with stricter emissions standards. Officials said discussions on fixes are ongoing but will focus on "fugitive" emissions that currently might escape the plant without going through the plant's scrubbers.

The BD facility in Covington, about 35 miles east of downtown Atlanta, hasn't captured the media glare that rival sterilizer Sterigenics has. The Sterigenics plant, in unincorporated Cobb County near Smyrna, sits near SunTrust Park, Vinings and Atlanta's tony Buckhead neighborhood.

Ora Cody was part of a standing-room-only crowd Tuesday night that filled the historic Newton County Courthouse. Cody, who has lived in Covington for 46 years and once worked in the BD plant when it was known by another name, said she was traveling for weeks and only recently learned about the controversy.

She said she wanted to know: "Are they going to correct this stuff? Are they going to help us?"

On Tuesday, officials with the EPA tried to tamp down Covington residents' concerns.

The NATA assessment is a screening tool that helps flag where potential environmental issues exist. It isn't a definitive study showing a public health concern, officials said.

In June, new modeling conducted by the state EPD using updated emissions data self-reported by the companies found lower levels of risk.

Still, ethylene oxide has been found to be more pervasive than initially understood. When communities have conducted air testing for the gas, they've tended to find it, even in areas where scientists either didn't expect to or in higher concentrations than experts predicted.

Jason McCathy, a founder of activist group Say No to EtO, called for independent testing at BD facilities in Covington and another in Madison and any others the emit the gas.

Tuesday's EPA town hall in Covington followed a similar one in Marietta on Monday.

Metro Atlanta officials agree to pay for testing

Officials in Cobb, Smyrna and Atlanta have agreed to pay for air testing near the plant. Last week, after mounting pressure, the state EPD announced it too would conduct air tests near the Smyrna and Covington plants.

Ethylene oxide is a colorless and combustible gas used to fumigate some agricultural products, sterilize medical equipment and in the manufacturing process of other chemicals such as antifreeze.

The gas is long been known to be harmful, but in 2016 the EPA reclassified ethylene oxide as a carcinogen. The gas has been linked to breast, lymphoid, leukemia and other types of cancers.

The state EPD entered into a consent decree this month with Sterigenics that requires new emissions controls and includes new environmental benchmarks. The company has said it already meets all state and federal air quality standards.

Sterigenics President Phil Macnabb said last week those fixes will cost about $2.5 million and take 12 to 24 weeks to complete.

After Monday's meeting in Marietta, Democratic state Sen. Jen Jordan of Atlanta and state Rep. Erick Allen of Smyrna called on Kemp to shut down the plant until the business can prove it is not violating emission regulations.

Loudermilk, R-Cassville, asked EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler what the agency is doing to help local elected officials with its investigations, if it supports efforts to conduct independent air tests and how the agency will it ensure companies are reporting accurate emissions information.

Jordan and Allen said Kemp should follow the lead of Illinois which closed a similar Sterigenics facility near Chicago last year.

"The governor has the authority and the power to do that, to ask them to cease operations while this investigation is going on," Allen told reporters after the Cobb town hall.

MORE DETAILS

In 2016, the EPA determined ethylene oxide is dangerous at much lower levels than previously thought. Based on its new threshold, the EPA in 2018 flagged several census tracts in Georgia for elevated cancer risks from exposure to ethylene oxide. But neither the agency nor the state Environmental Protection Division alerted the public. In July, a report by WebMD and Georgia Health News highlighted the risks in Georgia near plants that use ethylene oxide, which has spurred a public backlash and pledges by local and state agencies to conduct air tests.

CREDIT: By J. Scott Trubey, Kristal Dixon, Greg Bluestein
This week, you will create a research reading journal including at least three high-quality sources related to the topic of your Solving a Problem in Your Community Essay. To make sure you are on the right track, for post 1 by Wednesday, share one of your journal entries with the class.

It should include the following information.

Your topic
Your thesis
The APA-style reference of one source
A summary of that source
An evaluation of that source
A direct quotation from that source
A paraphrase of that quotation
An analysis of that quotation
An application of that quotation (in other words, where in the essay it will be used)
.

Answer 1

Research Reading Journal Entry

Topic: Ethylene Oxide Emissions and Public Health Concerns in Georgia

Thesis: The heightened public scrutiny and regulatory response to ethylene oxide emissions from medical sterilization facilities in Georgia underscore the need for enhanced air quality regulations and community health protections.

APA-style Reference: Trubey, J. S., Dixon, K., & Bluestein, G. (2023). Governor demands pollution controls at sterilization facility following public health concerns. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved from [insert link]

Summary of the Source:
This article discusses Governor Brian Kemp's demand for BD Bard, a medical sterilization facility in Covington, to implement pollution controls similar to those recently adopted by Sterigenics, another sterilization plant in Cobb County. The article outlines the background of public health concerns surrounding ethylene oxide emissions that have arisen after a 2018 EPA study indicated potential cancer risks in communities surrounding these facilities. It also covers the responses from local government officials and community activists who are calling for more stringent regulation and independent testing of air quality.

Evaluation of the Source:
This article is a reliable and timely source from a respected local news organization, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The reporters, J. Scott Trubey, Kristal Dixon, and Greg Bluestein, provide detailed coverage of a significant public health issue, including direct quotes from key stakeholders such as Governor Kemp and community activists. The multi-perspective approach—covering regulatory, public health, and community engagement aspects—enhances the authority of the article. However, it may reflect a slight bias due to its focus on public outcry rather than industry perspectives.

Direct Quotation from the Source:
"This proactive measure demonstrates (Sterigenics') commitment to the local community and helps to restore confidence in its operations," Kemp said.

Paraphrase of that Quotation:
Governor Kemp emphasized that Sterigenics' initiative to adopt stricter controls showcases their dedication to rebuilding trust with the local community.

Analysis of that Quotation:
This statement highlights the importance of corporate responsibility in addressing environmental and health concerns. By framing pollution control as a means to restore community confidence, Kemp suggests that public health and corporate transparency are intertwined. This could influence the reader's perception of the ethical obligations of companies operating in sensitive environments.

Application of that Quotation:
I will incorporate this quotation in the section of my essay discussing the role of government and industry in addressing public health crises, illustrating how proactive measures can benefit both community trust and corporate reputation.

Next Steps

For my subsequent entries, I will seek additional sources that provide scientific data on the health effects of ethylene oxide, testimonies from affected residents, and legal frameworks governing air quality and emissions. These elements will aid in constructing a well-rounded argument in my essay.