EPA extends public comment period for ethylene oxide (near Terumo)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has extended their public comment period on two proposals that would further regulate ethylene oxide to protect people’s health and the environment. The agency is now accepting comments through June 27, 2023.
Ethylene oxide is an ongoing issue in Lakewood, originating from Terumo BCT. Read more from the Westword: https://www.westword.com/news/terumo-bct-ethylene-oxide-lakewood-cancer-lawsuit-epa-13820045
Terumo BCT public comment:
https://www.terumobct.com/terumo-bct-and-ethylene-oxide
Comment submitted to EPA from Lakewood resident:
To Whom It May Concern,
My comments will concern an aspect of cases of pollution, radiation and other hazards that are not typically looked at – the corruption and malfeasance by the elected official involved in making decisions
which, while not obvious at first, have dire consequences upon thousands, and, at times, over generations, millions of people.
I grew up a short distance away from Chernobyl, in Belarus. To this day I come across pieces of knowledge, whereby, government officials made horrendous decisions, be they driven by the desire to save face or to simply hide the truth (and at times, coupled with ego-driven foolishness). Worse still, I see corruption and ulterior motive decision making, mainly driven by greed and ego/narcissism in the U.S. at state and local levels now more than ever.
Which brings us to Terumo BCT in Lakewood, CO. Yes, there should be far stricter regulations on how any given facility utilizing Ethylene Oxide is overseen. However, what is not been looked at are the decisions made by the local and state officials.
Under the convenient guise of “EPA is a federal entity that’s looking at the levels of exposure and we are cooperating”, development adjacent to the potentially harmful effects of such a facility, which may not
manifest themselves for decades or even generations, continues. Hence, not only are thousands of current residents are exposed, but untold future thousands might be exposed due to the decisions of
the local officials.
There are numerous examples of the local officials making decisions driven by greed, corruption and shortsightedness. Arizona now has to limit the building of home around Phoenix due to well water
running low:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jun/02/phoenix-arizona-limits-future-home-building-drought
WHILE, allowing the growing of alpha-alpha, slated for export to Saudi Arabia, rapidly depleting well water in Western Arizona:
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/saudi-company-fondomonte-arizona-ground-water-crop-alfalfa/
While there are larger environmental factors at play, the shortsightedness of the local officials, coupled with short term greed, is one of the key factors now driving the drastic decision related to Arizona’s water supply and Colorado is not far behind in such levels of buffoonery, again, driven by short term greed and corruption.
Lakewood city council and some of the city staff have been pushing for poorly planned development, which is placing thousands of future residents in to rather precarious economic and, now, due to the
recent findings by the EPA, environmental position. There are numerous rental units being built in proximity to the Terumo BCT facility, even after the recent findings by the EPA.
(Oak Station Apartments – just a short way down from the zone estimated by the EPA to have exposure to the Ethylene Oxide. And there are hundreds more (perhaps, thousands) of units that are being built all along the Colfax Corridor adjacent to the same area.)
Fundamentally, the government has “one job” and it is to ensure that businesses act in an ethical manner. Which, unfortunately, the government has been failing at, be it at a federal or local level. The
recent settlement with Dupont, Chemours and Corteva in regards to PFAS is the latest example of this:
For decades, millions of people (never mind the environment) have been absorbing these chemicals. The adverse effects may not be truly known for decades if not generations more. And those companies knew what the chemical might do. The government knew… Why did it take decades to truly act and when the action was taken, it is just a settlement which will never truly cover the real extent of the
damage caused?
Just as might turn out to be the case with Ethylene Oxide (and other “surprises” which should be put in the proverbial sunlight in Colorado, but are not in the scope of this particular matter).
Lakewood administration has shown little, if any, regard for (true) economic and environmental considerations in other parts of the city (other than the placating and dismissive statements in the city’s
propaganda pieces and vacuous statements as a response to the inquiries by the citizens).
Hence, it might be prudent to start exploring either criminal liability being mandated from the federal level for the local officials, whose decisions are driven by catering to those who donate the most and far
stricter, federally-driven, framework must be established where any future development is a subject to review, public input and hearings, governed NOT by state and local officials, but by entities who won’t be easily swayed by the corruption at the local level.
Thank you.