Lawsuit filed against EPA over limits on ethylene oxide emissions from organic chemical manufacturing

Huntsman Petrochemical and two industry trade groups, the American Chemistry Council and the Louisiana Chemical Association, filed lawsuits on February 21, 2023 to challenge the US Environmental Protection Agency's recent decision to keep a 2020 rule that limits ethylene oxide emissions from organic chemical manufacturing.

The 2020 rule is based on the EPA's Integrated Risk Information System's controversial 2016 hazard assessment (IRIS). The rule says that chemical companies must cut down on ethylene oxide emissions from equipment leaks, vents, and storage tanks. This is to protect people who live near factories.

The industry wants the EPA to use a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality risk assessment that is said to be less protective (TCEQ).