EPA Press Office:

EPA Announces Public Hearing on Proposal to Strengthen Standards for Chemical and Polymers Plants

WASHINGTON (April 26, 2023) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a virtual public hearing on its proposal to significantly reduce hazardous air pollutants from chemical plants, including the highly toxic chemicals ethylene oxide (EtO) and chloroprene. The reductions would dramatically reduce the number of people with elevated air toxics-related cancer risks in communities surrounding the plants that use those two chemicals, especially communities historically overburdened by air toxics pollution, and cut more than 6,000 tons of toxic air pollution a year.

Hearing information:

• Date: Tuesday May 16, 2023
• Time: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET
• Location: Virtual platform

Registration to speak at the hearing is now open. To register to speak, or for information about watching a livestream of the hearing, please visit EPA’s Proposal to Strengthen Standards for Synthetic Organic Chemical Plants and Polymers and Resins Plants webpage.

Language/Reasonable Accommodation Request: If you need assistance in a language other than English or if you need a reasonable accommodation, please contact SPPDpublichearing@epa.gov or 888-372-8699. EPA must receive this request by May 2, 2023, in order to provide accommodations.

Comment in writing: EPA also will accept comments on the proposal in writing until June 26, 2023. Comments the Agency receives in writing receive the same consideration as comments received at the public hearing.