Why Should Delaware Care?
Croda Inc. manufactures ethylene oxide — a highly carcinogenic industrial chemical — in a facility that sits near the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge. Past releases of the substance from the facility has caused many neighbors to be vigilant about the safety in the area.
Federal and state regulators are investigating a leak of a cancer-causing chemical that occurred earlier this month at an industrial site near the base of the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
According to Delaware’s environmental notification system, “an unknown quantity of ethylene oxide was released” on April 14 because of a “leaking valve gasket” at Croda’s Atlas Point site, near New Castle.
The notification further states that Croda estimates emissions at less than 10 pounds.
Asked about the incident, Croda’s New Castle site director, Jeff LaBrozzi, said in an email that the leak was handled quickly and that warning systems onsite worked. He said the response relied on an “automated deluge system,” similar to an industrial sprinkler.
LaBrozzi and state regulators also said there were no reported injuries.
The incident follows larger leaks over the past decade that sparked outrage from New Castle-area neighbors who claimed that air pollution linked to ethylene oxide has put them at a higher risk of cancer.
Those incidents include an infamous 2018 leak that ended up releasing nearly 2,700 pounds of ethylene oxide and forced the closer of the Delaware Memorial Bridge during the busy Thanksgiving travel weekend. More than 3,000 neighboring residents were also told to shelter-in-place during the incident to avoid exposure.
Since the latest leak, at least one neighborhood leader said residents’ concerns have continued.
The EPA describes ethylene oxide as a flammable, colorless gas linked to various types of cancer for people who experience long-term exposure to it. In 2016, the agency revealed that the substance was 30 times more carcinogenic than officials previously thought.
The chemical is used industrially to produce consumer goods, such as lotions and skin care, and to sterilize medical equipment.
On Tuesday, a spokesperson from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control confirmed the agency is investigating the April 14 leak. He said he could not comment further.
A spokesperson from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration also said in an email that its officials have also opened an investigation.
Beyond his statement to Spotlight Delaware, LaBrozzi sent an email to a Croda-sponsored coalition of New Castle-area civic groups, businesses and elected officials stating the leak prompted a coordinated response between the company and local first responders, and state agencies.
“Subsequent air monitoring, using multiple methods, confirmed there were no detectable readings (of ethylene oxide) beyond our facility and no risk to the surrounding community,” he said in the email.
For years, community advocates have expressed concerns about the risks of ethylene oxide emissions, as well as with Croda’s level of communication with nearby residents.
Following the latest incident, New Castle-area resident and organizer Dora Williams expressed concerns about residents’ access to public information about hazardous chemical emissions.
“People don’t know anything about it,” she said of the April incident. “Can we really trust them to say what happened, or was it all watered-down language?”
On Tuesday, DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson highlighted similar community concerns, including those related to ethylene oxide, during a Joint Capital Improvement Committee hearing at Legislative Hall.
While he said Croda has “significantly reduced” its ethylene oxide emissions in recent years, he also asserted that it is harder to monitor for the toxic chemical than it is for other substances.
Patterson also said the agency has reviewed the use of ethylene oxide in other communities across the country and learned that “these types of systems don’t really work without serious community engagement.”
Earlier this month, DNREC issued a notice of violation to Croda after equipment involving landfill gas, which provides power to the site, had failed emissions tests.
Get Involved
Members of the community can learn more about Croda by calling the Atlas Point community information line at 302-429-5474.
