ATLANTA (March 15, 2023) | Yesterday, March 14, 2023, Senator Jason Esteves (D – Atlanta) hosted a virtual town hall for constituents to discuss the Sterigenics facility located within his district in Cobb County. Sterigenics, a medical sterilization company, is facing legal action after it was revealed in 2019 that its Cobb County facility had emitted dangerous levels of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing chemical.
“The environmental and health concerns related to the Sterigenics facility remain a primary topic of discussion whenever I meet with constituents in both Cobb and Fulton Counties, which is why I hosted this informational town hall,” said Sen. Esteves. “I live within the emission radius of the Cobb County facility, so this is personal to my family and me as well. Every Georgian has the right to breathe clean air and there should be accountability when our public health is compromised. As a State Senator, I am committed to working with all parties to help chart a way forward that will keep our community safe.”
Sen. Esteves was joined by three other panelists: Cobb County Commissioner Jerica Richardson (District 2), former State Representative Erick Allen, and plaintiffs’ attorney Eric J. Hertz to provide updates and take questions on the current operations of the facility, pending litigation, and avenues for future advocacy.
Over 60 people attended the virtual town hall. The majority of attendees’ questions focused on how the Sterigenics facility and governmental entities will continue to monitor ethylene oxide emissions. Said one attendee, “I would like a more assertive approach than third-party testing alone. What about the ongoing monitoring requirements and increased fines… How specifically can we make this happen?”
In response to these concerns, Sen. Esteves committed to taking action on behalf of his constituents by:
• Sending a letter to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division to request more information on the continuation of ethylene oxide emission tests;
• Hosting a future town hall with a request that representatives from both the Environmental Protection Division and Sterigenics attend;
• Introducing legislation that would require continuous monitoring and fence line testing of facilities that operate with dangerous chemicals and increase penalties for violations of emissions standards; and legislation that would provide county governments with more tools to monitor facilities that handle dangerous chemicals.
The Sterigenics facility continues to operate after a federal judge ruled against Cobb County’s attempts to shut it down with new permitting requirements. Sterigenics continues to face civil litigation from affected residents and property owners.
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Sen. Jason Esteves represents the 6th Senate District which includes portions of Cobb and Fulton County. He may be reached by phone at 404.463.1562 or by email at Jason.esteves@senate.ga.gov.