SANTA FE, NM—Attorney General Hector Balderas announced that his office sued Sterigenics U.S., LLC and its related companies for knowingly emitting an air pollutant known as ethylene oxide in excess of permissible limits from its plant in Santa Teresa, New Mexico. The lawsuit, filed in the Third Judicial District Court in Las Cruces, alleges that since 1989, as part of the sterilization process in the plant, the companies have emitted, and may still be emitting, high amounts of ethylene oxide, thereby damaging the environment and potentially putting New Mexicans at risk.
“Industrial companies must follow the law and maintain the highest safety standards for all communities; and it is not fair to exploit poor communities of color when they deserve protection with their health and safety,” said Attorney General Balderas. “My office will always fight to hold companies accountable for jeopardizing the health and safety of all New Mexicans, especially those most vulnerable communities.”
According to the lawsuit, the companies’ misconduct created a public nuisance to New Mexicans in Santa Teresa and surrounding areas for which the companies are liable to the State. The lawsuit demands that the companies modify their sterilization process and seeks damages and penalties.