Downtown Tucson, Oct. 23, 2019.
Pima County is considering a building permit for Becton, Dickinson and Company, a medical technology company that will release trace amounts of cancerous gas. The company previously violated air quality laws in Georgia.
A Becton, Dickinson and Company facility in Georgia was temporarily shut down in 2019 because emissions of the cancerous gas ethylene oxide, the same gas the new facility would release here, were higher than its permit allowed.
Natalie Shepp of the Pima County Department of Environmental Quality said because of federal laws, the department cannot take that history into account as it evaluates the company for a permit.
"We do know that they have a history in other places and we're well aware of that, but unfortunately for the role of our permit writers and our permit manager, they don't have any ability to make any changes based on what's happened in other states," Shepp said.
The department uses criteria laid out by the Environmental Protection Agency in the Clean Air Act. She said this would be the first facility permitted for this type of emission in the county.
"Based on that, those standards, we feel like the surrounding residents and people that work in the businesses in that area will be safe if the company continues to abide by those permit conditions," Shepp said.
The county extended the public comment period until December 17th.
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