Georgia is poised to become the second U.S. state to force the shutdown of a commercial sterilization facility after air testing found high levels of toxic ethylene oxide gas in nearby neighborhoods.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed a motion Monday for a temporary restraining order against Becton Dickinson, or BD, which sterilizes medical equipment at a plant in Covington, 30 miles east of Atlanta. The motion names Richard Dunn, Georgia Environmental Protection Division director, as plaintiff.
The state’s legal move — which seeks to pressure BD to reduce its toxic releases before reopening the Covington facility — stunned environmental advocates.
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