The Environmental Protection Agency on Friday proposed weakening limits on ethylene oxide emissions from medical sterilization facilities, a move that could affect communities near 90 plants nationwide. The gas, while essential for sterilizing pacemakers, syringes, and other medical devices, has been linked to leukemia and other cancers when inhaled over time.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin defended the proposal as necessary to ensure the supply of sterile medical equipment, particularly for vulnerable populations. The agency's move comes after President Trump exempted 40 sterilization plants from Biden-era emissions rules for two years, citing concerns about potential disruptions to medical device manufacturing.

Environmental groups have filed suit to block the exemptions, arguing that many facilities could comply using existing pollution controls. About 2.3 million people, often in low-income neighborhoods or communities of color, live within two miles of these sterilization facilities. The EPA will accept public comments for 45 days before finalizing the rule, likely within the next year.