US environmental regulators tighten ethylene oxide emissions for polyether polyols plants

The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing stricter rules for hazardous air pollutants from polyether polyols production. This means plants making these chemicals will have to reduce emissions of ethylene oxide and other toxic substances, and test their equipment more often.

For years, the rules for these chemical plants allowed for certain levels of hazardous emissions. This proposal tightens those limits, especially for ethylene oxide, a known carcinogen. It also requires plants to perform regular performance testing every five years, which means regulators will have more current data on actual emissions.