Ethylene oxide (EtO) is a highly toxic chemical used to sterilize medical equipment and manufacture other chemicals. The EPA determined in 2016 that EtO is carcinogenic to humans at exposure levels far lower than previously thought. Residents living near EtO-emitting facilities in Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Colorado, and other states have filed lawsuits alleging their cancers — including lymphoma, breast cancer, and leukemia — were caused by chronic exposure to EtO emissions.
Litigation Timeline
EPA Finalizes Stricter EtO Emission Rules
EPA finalizes new regulations dramatically reducing allowable ethylene oxide emissions from sterilization facilities, requiring installation of pollution controls.
regulatory$363M Verdict Against Sterigenics (Georgia)
Cobb County, Georgia jury awards $363 million to a woman who developed breast cancer after living near the Sterigenics facility in Smyrna. First major EtO trial verdict.
verdictIllinois Orders Sterigenics Closure
Illinois EPA orders Sterigenics to stop all ethylene oxide emissions at its Willowbrook facility amid mounting community outcry and health data.
regulatoryWillowbrook, IL Cancer Cluster Identified
EPA data reveals that the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook, Illinois has been exposing nearby residents to EtO levels creating cancer risks up to 9x the national average.
scientificEPA Updates Cancer Risk Assessment
EPA's Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) determines ethylene oxide is 30x more carcinogenic than previously estimated, fundamentally changing the risk calculus for nearby communities.
regulatoryNotable Verdicts & Settlements
Kamuda v. Sterigenics (Cobb County, GA)
Jury VerdictFirst major ethylene oxide trial verdict. Jury awarded $363M including punitive damages to a woman diagnosed with breast cancer after living near the Sterigenics Smyrna, GA facility.
Cook County Sterigenics Settlements (Illinois)
SettlementSeries of settlements totaling over $408M for residents of Willowbrook, IL and surrounding communities who developed cancers attributed to EtO emissions from the Sterigenics facility.
Copeland v. Sterigenics (Cobb County, GA — Worker Claim)
SettlementSettlement for a former Sterigenics worker in Smyrna, Georgia who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after 12 years of employment inside the sterilization facility. The worker alleged daily occupational exposure to EtO at levels far exceeding EPA safe exposure thresholds. The case was notable for including testimony from a former facility safety officer who stated that air monitoring alarms were routinely disabled during high-volume sterilization runs.
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