Ethylene Oxide Update #38: Wednesday, August 5, 2020

In this update includes:

• Quarter 2 stack monitoring and fugitive emissions results received by IEPA; Vantage within permit
• Congressman Brad Schneider secures EtO monitoring priorities in Minibus Appropriations

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) has updated its website to include the Q2 data related to Vantage’s permit. The results indicate Vantage released 40.36 pounds (36.69% of permitted annual total) of EtO cumulatively year-to-date, of which 21.36 pounds (35.60% of permitted annual total) were fugitive emissions. Public Act 101-0023 and Vantage’s Construction Permit limit the facility to 110 pounds of emissions annually of which no more than 60 pounds can be fugitive emissions. The submission noted “there were no leaking components in April May and June 2020” and "there were no deviations from the affected component permit conditions in April, May and June 2020”. The second quarter report is now available on the IEPA website here: https://www2.illinois.gov/epa/topics/community-relations/sites/ethylene-oxide/Documents/Vantage%20Const%20Permit%20Q2%202020%20Report.pdf

Additionally, Congressman Brad Schneider’s office has announced that the House “minibus” H.R. 7608 included report language to require the EPA to better engage with communities and for EPA to use community air monitoring data throughout its ongoing EtO-related rulemaking. Congressman Schneider served as the founder and co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Ethylene Oxide Task Force pushing for stricter regulation of ethylene oxide and for the EPA to be more “publicly engaged on its work”. The full details from the Minibus appropriations language on EtO can be found at: https://schneider.house.gov/sites/schneider.house.gov/files/Schneider%20Minibus%20Wins%207.24.20.pdf