Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) failed to disclose to Georgia environmental officials a warehouse that it has leased since May to store medical devices sterilized with ethylene oxide (EtO), the company said on Friday. BD notified the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of its use of the 40,000-square-foot warehouse in Covington, Ga., on Friday after the agency cited […]
Georgia Environmental Protection Division
Georgia cites BD for warehouse ethylene oxide emissions
Georgia state officials claim that Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) has been operating a medical device warehouse without an air quality permit. The Covington, Ga. warehouse stores devices that have been sterilized using ethylene oxide (EtO), a carcinogenic gas. BD signed a consent order with the Georgia Environmental Protection Divisoin (EPD) in October, agreeing to aerate EtO-sterilized devices for 24 hours […]
Sterigenics’ legal troubles mount in Illinois
Nearly two dozen new lawsuits were filed against Sterigenics this week over its now-shuttered ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization plant in Willowbrook, Ill., according to a law firm representing some of the plaintiffs. That brings the total of such lawsuits to nearly 75, noted Chicago personal injury lawyer Antonio Romanucci, court-appointed lead counsel from among five firms involved in the […]
BD warns of international device shortages in EO plant legal filing
The Georgia environmental chief’s effort to shut down a Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) medtech sterilization plant could cause widespread shortages of commonly used devices for which BD has a large market share, the company said today in a court filing. On Tuesday, Georgia state Environmental Protection Division director Richard Dunn filed a motion with Newton County Superior Court […]
Georgia seeks temporary halt to BD sterilization operation
The state of Georgia has asked a court to temporarily shutter a Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) medtech sterilization plant until it complies with state environmental regulations. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) filed a motion yesterday with Newton County Superior Court for a temporary restraining order to halt operations at BD’s Covington, Ga. plant, which uses ethylene oxide […]
Georgia to investigate BD medtech sterilization plant
The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has opened an investigation into Becton Dickinson’s (NYSE:BDX) medical device sterilization plant in Covington, Ga. following an eight-day leak of the sterilant gas ethylene oxide (EO). The EPD notified BD this week that it was dissatisfied with the company’s reporting of the valve leak that released 54 lbs. of ethylene oxide […]
BD Georgia sterilization plant leaked 54 lbs. of ethylene oxide in September
A weeklong valve leak at a Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) medtech sterilization plant in Covington, Ga., released 54 lbs. of ethylene oxide into the air, according to a City of Covington incident report obtained by a local TV station. The plant began experiencing intermittent elevated levels of EO indoors Sept. 15, but inspections and systems checks failed to locate the […]