SOUTH FORT MYERS, Fla. — Congressman Byron Donalds held a meeting Wednesday night about ethylene oxide (EtO) emission concerns for parents living inside the area of concern, who send their children to schools nearby.
“When we first heard cancer…my wife and me, we were shocked,” parent Mike Levins said.
The EPA said the American Contract Systems plant in south Fort Myers has been releasing toxic, cancerous gas known as EtO for more than a decade.
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“I mean I’m not gonna lie, part of me hopes that the company moves — but I don’t think, I’m not sure that’s realistic,” Levins said.
On Wednesday Congressman Byron Donalds hosted a meeting about the community’s concerns, especially parents.
“We actually got wind of it through the media,” Levins said.
And many, like Levins, didn’t know it was there.
Anyone who lives in the red zone is considered high-risk.
“The biggest one is just getting a full understanding of where their mindset is,” Donalds said.
He told parents the company is trying to make the air cleaner.
“We know the plant is looking to add a scrubber technology and other technologies to decrease the amount of pounds that will be released into the atmosphere,” Donalds said. “I think what they are saying is they will lower it to about 20 lbs.”
But it can’t erase the potential health problems it may have already caused, and these parents want to know the impacts — now.
“Physicians even brought up comments or concerns about testing, like we should be testing our kids and adults right now to understand what has the exposure been,” Levins said.
Physicians like Abby Miknaitis. She is also a concerned parent whose kids go to Evangelical Christian School, which is in the red zone.
It’s just a couple of miles from the facility.
“Today I have not noticed through my research if there is any standard of care of how to treat a monitored exposed residence or students, and so as a physician I would like support from our local and state, and federal government in developing new standards of care,” Miknaitis said.
She created a Facebook page called “ETO Free Future” to help educate parents who are worried.
“But also to understand what exposures already happened and what we can do to start monitoring and detecting the answers at the earliest stages,” Miknaitis said.
Donalds said there need to be many more conversations about EtO concerns moving forward.
“Coming out of this meeting, I think I am hopeful, but realistically, we need to see action,” Levin said.
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