HENRICO COUNTY, Va. — A local plant that sterilizes medical equipment is facing a fine in the tens of thousands of dollars over the release of a hazardous gas into the air, according to a proposed consent order published by state regulators.
Sterilization Services of Virginia, located in Eastern Henrico, has been a source of concern for community leader Faith Harris of Virginia Interfaith Power and Light. She's been on a mission to educate people about the risks associated with the facility and said she's finding many don't even know about its existence.
“That was disconcerting to learn that so many people are unaware of what they're being exposed to, the dangers," Harris said.
In 2022, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) identified an "elevated cancer risk" in the Henrico community due to emissions of ethylene oxide from the facility.
The finding particularly applied to those in closest proximity who continuously inhale the gas throughout their lifetime; however, the EPA recently deemed its earlier risk findings "no longer current."
Irena Como, a senior attorney with the Southern Environmental Law Center, described ethylene oxide as "a cancer-causing gas that is colorless, nearly odorless, and people can be exposed to it without ever knowing that that has been happening."
In a public document posted by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) on May 20, the state agency said it was informed on April 9 that nearly 600 pounds of ethylene oxide was released from the plant.
“It exceeded both the hourly and annual pollution limits for the particular unit that leaked, so the numbers involved are extremely concerning. This is not a minor incident," Como said.
The event resulted in cited violations of DEQ air permit conditions.
Harris said she was shocked to learn of the incident and believes regulators should have informed the community immediately after it happened.
“It’s very concerning that the communications are so poor and that our leadership, our Department of Environmental Quality but also just the corporate entities that run that facility, don’t think it’s important enough to communicate to the community what they’re being exposed to," Harris said.
In response to criticisms over communication, DEQ spokesperson John Giese said notification requirements for this type of incident are established under federal law. He said the law mandates reporting to certain emergency officials but not individual citizens. If an incident creates an immediate threat, local fire officials would be the ones responsible for public notifications.
The EPA under President Donald Trump's administration has recently proposed rolling back stricter regulations on ethylene oxide that were previously announced in 2024 under former President Joe Biden's administration that aimed to reduce cancer risks for people who live near commercial sterilization facilities.
In doing so, EPA officials have cited the need to protect the medical supply chain.
"EPA is concerned that the current Biden-era [ethylene oxide] emission standards actively threaten facilities’ ability to sterilize equipment and jeopardize one of America’s only options for a secure domestic supply chain of essential medical equipment," the agency said in a March 2026 press release.
The move to change the standards has been met with legal challenges, including from the Southern Environmental Law Center.
But in previous statements, DEQ said Sterilization Services of Virginia had already implemented safeguards in October 2025 that "substantially" reduce actual ethylene oxide emissions and therefore "substantially" reduced the risk identified by the EPA. The facility installed these measures well before its initial deadline, which was later extended, in order to comply with the more stringent EPA regulations that required pollution controls, according to DEQ.
Those emission controls were incorporated into a new DEQ-enforceable air permit for the plant, meaning even if the EPA reverses the stricter regulations, the facility cannot remove them.
Giese explained the April incident was "caused by a malfunction of a valve in the ethylene oxide delivery system that allowed ethylene oxide to be released to the atmosphere."
According to the DEQ consent order, the emission "occurred without any form of pollution control equipment being engaged." However, in a statement to CBS 6, Giese said this incident did not involve an issue with the emission controls installed in October.
But Como said the emission reflects, in her opinion, a state oversight system that does not do enough to protect the public.
“We need continuous monitoring, and then stronger enforceable engineering safeguards, immediate public alerts — something that did not happen here — tougher penalties, and more stringent emissions limitations," Como said.
The consent order stated Sterilization Services of Virginia is taking several steps to prevent future problems including replacing valves and installing an alarm system.
DEQ has proposed resolving the cited violations by imposing a fine of $53,616 on the facility.
CBS 6 has reached out to Sterilization Services of Virgina for comment, but we have not heard back.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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