On April 6, 2023, the US EPA announced a new proposal to restrict air emissions of ethylene oxide and chloroprene at roughly 200 chemical plants, stating that the “reductions would dramatically reduce the number of people with elevated air toxics-related cancer risks in communities surrounding the plants that use those two chemicals, especially communities historically overburdened by air toxics pollution...” EPA states that its proposal would update several regulations that apply to chemical plants, with the goal of reducing 6,053 tons of air toxics emissions each year, including a 58 ton per year reduction in ethylene oxide (EtO) and a reduction of 14 tons per year in chloroprene. Other air toxics the rule would reduce include benzene, 1,3-butadiene, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride. EPA estimates that its proposal would also reduce emissions of smog-forming volatile organic compounds by more than 23,000 tons a year.

EPA plans to make the monitoring data public through its WebFiRE database tool, using data generated in part by fenceline monitoring. EPA announced that it has conducted a “first-of-its kind” community risk assessment, evaluating the impacts of the proposed emissions reductions from synthetic organic chemical manufacturing on the total air toxics-related cancer risks from all large industrial facilities in an area combined – not just from the equipment and processes covered by EPA’s current proposal. EPA states that its community risk assessment shows that the numbers of people with elevated cancer risk could drop by 96 percent in communities surrounding chemical plants, if the proposal is finalized.

EPA will accept written comments for 60 days after the proposal is published in the Federal Register and will hold a virtual public hearing. The Agency also will hold a training for communities on April 13, 2023, to review the proposal and answer questions.