BCP Ingredients Ethylene oxide release
A BCP Ingredients plant in Verona, MO, has 16 deficiencies, according to an EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) report. The report came out just months after a chemical spill, and a study that showed the town, in some areas, has an estimated industrial cancer risk almost 30 times what is acceptable by EPA standards.
Peiffer Wolf is fighting on behalf of Verona residents to seek maximum compensation for the harm suffered from BCP’s alleged negligence. If you or a loved one has been exposed to ethylene oxide and diagnosed with cancer, reproductive problems, or suffered damage to the brain/nervous system, you should Contact Us today by filling out an online contact form or by calling 314-833-4827 for a FREE Consultation.
BCP Ingredients Ethylene oxide release | What happened?
In November 2021, ProPublica released the report “The Most Detailed Map of Cancer-Causing Industrial Air Pollution in the U.S.,” in which Verona, MO, is featured as a “hot spot.” According to the report, 2,979 people are in this hot spot, where lifetime cancer risk is 27 times the EPA’s acceptable risk. The reason? BCP Ingredients’ plant.
In March 2022, following ProPublica’s report, the EPA held a town hall meeting in Verona, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services started a cancer study, a request that came from Verona’s Mayor, Joseph Heck.
In April 2022, BCP Ingredients plant in Verona had a chemical spill accident. If it were not for an anonymous call on April 12, Verona would not have found out about the spill since BCP did not notify the city about the leak of 1,200 pounds of ethylene oxide, a carcinogen. According to KY3, “Without the call from the anonymous source, [Verona City Clerk Laura] Hazelwood believes that residents and officials wouldn’t know about the spill.”
In June 2022, EPA inspectors arrived at BCP Ingredients’ plant for an inspection.
In September 2022, the EPA issued a letter listing 16 deficiencies in BCP Ingredients’ plant in Verona. Some of the deficiencies listed by KY3 include:
“The facility has not conducted emergency response coordination activities annually.”
“The [April] spill happened when an ethylene oxide railcar was emptied into the storage tanks. Two employees must witness the transfer. Only one person was on the job.”
“One of the sixteen deficiencies is the worst-case scenario plan at the plant. The Hazard Assessment should be updated at least every five years. According to the EPA inspector, the latest BCP Hazard Assessment was prepared nearly twenty years ago, in October of 2004.”
Peiffer Wolf is fighting on behalf of Verona residents to seek maximum compensation for the harm suffered from BCP’s alleged negligence. If you or a loved one has been exposed to ethylene oxide and diagnosed with cancer, reproductive problems, or suffered damage to the brain/nervous system, you should Contact Us today by filling out an online contact form or by calling 314-833-4827 for a FREE Consultation.
BCP Ingredients Investigation | The dangers of BCP Ethylene oxide
According to the National Cancer Institute, “The ability of ethylene oxide to damage DNA makes it an effective sterilizing agent but also accounts for its cancer-causing activity.”
The institute also lists the most common types of cancer associated with ethylene oxide exposure:
- Lymphoma
- Leukemia
- Stomach cancer
- Breast cancer
The CDC also warns about the danger of ethylene oxide exposure. Symptoms can include:
- Headaches
- Vomit
- Diarrhea
- Trouble breathing
- Sleepiness
- Weakness
- Tiredness
- Eye and skin burns
- Frostbite
- Reproductive problems
Long-term exposure to ethylene oxide can cause damage to the brain and nervous system as well, according to the EPA.
BCP Ingredients | FREE Consultation | 314-833-4827
Peiffer Wolf is fighting on behalf of Verona residents to seek maximum compensation for the harm suffered from BCP’s alleged negligence. If you or a loved one has been exposed to ethylene oxide and diagnosed with cancer, reproductive problems, or suffered damage to the brain/nervous system, Contact Us today by filling out an online contact form or by calling 314-833-4827 for a FREE Consultation.
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