The types of regulatory hurdles that contributed to the permanent closure this week of the Sterigenics medtech sterilization plant in Willowbrook, Ill., have created a “rolling effect” on ethylene oxide (EO) plants around the country, according to an industry official. The state of Illinois temporarily shut down the Willowbrook plant in February over emissions of EO, a […]
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Sterigenics to abandon Illinois plant
Sterigenics said yesterday that it’s planning to shutter an Illinois plant that uses ethylene oxide to sterilize medical devices, little more than a week after winning approval to reopen the facility. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency moved last year to temporarily close the plant, which shut down in February, citing excessive emissions of EO, a […]
U.S. EPA readies new rule on EO emissions
This article has been updated with a comment from AdvaMed. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will require medtech sterilization companies to provide information to help it formulate a new rule governing emissions of ethylene oxide. The EPA recently said that in October, it will ask for data on specific sterilization facility characteristics, control devices, work practices […]
Illinois issues construction permit to Sterigenics for EO plant
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on Friday issued a permit to Sterigenics to begin construction to update emissions controls at its Willowbrook medtech sterilization plant. For the plant to reopen, Sterigenics must submit plans for emissions testing and air monitoring to the state EPA. It also must provide the state agency with certification from each device’s manufacturer […]
FDA warns of more medical device shortages due to sterilization plant shutdown
This article has been updated with a comment from Sterigenics and a correction on the location of the Georgia plant. The FDA warned last week about the potential for more medical device shortages, this time due to the temporary shutdown of a Sterigenics ethylene oxide (EO) plant in Atlanta, Ga. The Atlanta plant uses ethylene […]
Judge approves agreement to reopen Sterigenics’ Illinois medtech sterilization plant
This article has been updated with a statement from Sterigenics. A judge in Illinois has approved the consent agreement between the state and Sterigenics that could enable the company to reopen its Willowbrook medical device sterilization plant. DuPage County Circuit Court Judge Paul Fullerton gave the nod to the agreement that the state attorney general and Sterigenics reached […]
BD to spend $8m to cut EO emissions in Georgia
Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) said this week it will spend $8 million to upgrade emissions controls at two medical device sterilization plants it operates in Georgia. The plants in Covington and Madison, Ga., both southeast of Atlanta, use ethylene oxide (EO) to sterilize medical devices. The federal Environmental Protection Agency recognizes EO as a carcinogen and lowered […]
Report: 32 new lawsuits filed against Sterigenics in Illinois over ethylene oxide emissions
This article has been updated with comments from one of the plaintiffs’ attorneys. More than 40 lawsuits have been filed against Sterigenics by people who claim that emissions from the company’s Willowbrook, Ill. medical device sterilization plant have adversely affected their or their relatives’ health, according to a report by the Associated Press. Lawyers for the plaintiffs filed 32 […]
These 7 trends matter the most for medtech in 2019
The medical device industry is experiencing another eventful year in 2019. Medtech companies face many headwinds, from the U.S.-China trade war to an FDA under fire. But the industry is also seeing the rise of new technologies — especially robot-assisted surgery. In fact, so many major companies are getting involved in robot-assisted surgery that some […]
Sterigenics plant reopening delayed
The Sterigenics medical device sterilization plant in Willowbrook, Ill., will remain closed for at least five more weeks, according to local news reports. The DuPage County judge overseeing litigation about the plant’s emissions of the sterilant ethylene oxide (EO) ruled Wednesday that Willowbrook and three other municipalities that surround it can join the lawsuit. Willowbrook, […]
Report: Ethylene oxide levels high near Georgia medtech sterilization plants
This article has been updated to include comments from Sterigenics. Medical device sterilization plants in the Atlanta area have come under scrutiny from neighbors and state officials following the publication of an investigative report by Georgia Health News and WebMD. Ethylene oxide plants owned by Sterigenics in Atlanta and Becton Dickinson in Covington, Ga., reported […]