EPA to speak to Verona, MO community about air pollution today - KOLR - OzarksFirst.com
EPA to speak to Verona, MO community about air pollution today
VERONA, Mo. — The United States Environmental Protection Agency will meet today, July 19, in Verona to discuss an ethylene oxide air monitoring study results.
In October 2022, the EPA told the community of Verona about health risks from ethylene oxide emissions and gave an update on a groundwater investigation at the Syntex Facility Superfund Site.
According to the EPA, ethylene oxide is a flammable gas used to make a variety of products and sterilize equipment. BCP Ingredients produces this gas and has been working with the EPA to become compliant with new government regulations set in 2016.
The BCP Ingredients, Inc. facility is a part of the Syntex Facility Superfund Site. In the 1960s and 1970s, the facility was used to create Agent Orange. The production of this chemical contaminated the soil and groundwater in the area.
“We remain committed to keeping the city of Verona well-informed about issues affecting their community’s health and the environment,” wrote EPA Region 7 Administrator Meg McCollister in the press release. “EPA and our partners will be available to share information and answer questions in Verona on July 19.”
During the meeting, the EPA will give the community results of the air studies conducted in the area and will also discuss recent activities related to the BCP Ingredients Inc. facility.
An “availability session” begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Verona High School at 101 E. Ella St., followed by a community meeting and presentation at 7 p.m. A question-and-answer session comes after and is scheduled to last until 9:30 p.m.
Related Knowledge Center: Air emissions
More than 30 years after the last major update of the Clean Air Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has upended the ability of Congress to give the Environmental Protection Agency and other federal agencies broad scope to combat air pollution, including the emission of greenhouse gases. Meanwhile, further Biden administration efforts to limit emissions face opposition in the courts.