New Jersey ethylene oxide lawsuits are being filed against the owners of EtO facilities located in Linden, South Plainfield, and Franklin, where EtO emissions may put residents at an increased risk for developing certain kinds of cancers. Residents living near these sterilization sites who have been diagnosed with cancer are encouraged to contact an attorney as soon as possible.

Officially listed by the EPA as EtO Sterilization Plant #2, this ethylene oxide facility is located in Linden, New Jersey. It is one of the most scrutinized sites for EtO emissions in the country because of the large potential exposure area and past emission rates.

About EtO Sterilization, Inc. – Plant #2

‍

Located at 2500 Brunswick Avenue in Linden, New Jersey, EtO Sterilization Plant #2 is owned and operated by Cosmed Group Inc. under its Food Pasteurization division. It has operated continuously since its opening in 1986. Reports indicate the facility utilizes ethylene oxide to sterilize spices and other agricultural items. Concerns over EtO emissions led to the installation of a two-stage scrubber system. However, residents living near the facility may still be at risk of exposure. The plant is located near densely populated areas, putting tens of thousands of New Jersey residents at an increased risk of developing certain kinds of cancer.

The Franklin EtO facility is located at 19 Park Drive in Hardyston Township near the communities of Franklin and Hamburg Borough. It has been in operation since 1997, utilizing ethylene oxide to sterilize medical equipment. Original assessments of the plant by the EPA named it as a high-risk location, meaning individuals living near the facility may be at an increased risk of developing cancer when exposed to EtO emissions over a long period of time.

About Cosmed Group Inc. DBA

‍

Cosmed of NJThe Franklin facility is currently owned and operated by Cosmed Group, Inc. and is doing business under the name Cosmed of NJ. Since it began operation in 1997, it has been owned by different companies. Although it was originally purchased by Cosmed, it was subsequently sold to another sterilization company before being re-acquired by Cosmed in 2017. Under the operation of Cosmed of NJ, the site is primarily used to sterilize medical devices. The facility currently uses a catalytic oxidizer system to reduce EtO emissions.

Isomedix Operations, Inc. is located at 3459 South Clinton Avenue in South Plainfield. It is owned by the STERIS Corporation and goes by trade names such as Applied Sterilization Technologies, STERIS AST, and STERIS Isomedix. The plant has seven ethylene oxide sterilization chambers. The company uses ethylene oxide to sterilize medical devices, including:


• Assembled complex devices
• Catheters
• Custom procedure packs
• Equipment with integrated electronics
• Multi-lumen tubing products
• Stents
• Wound care dressings

The South Plainfield plant’s emissions affect a number of residents. According to a letter sent from the EPA to the plant manager in 2021, 303,229 New Jersey residents live within a 5-mile radius of this facility, and 18,036 of those people were children under the age of 5. There were also 121 schools within a 5-mile radius of the facility. Children may be at an increased risk of dangers associated with ethylene oxide emissions because EtO is mutagenic. This means it can change the DNA in cells.

About Isomedix and STERIS
STERIS is a global gas-sterilization company with more than 60 locations worldwide. Their sterilization services use electron beam, gamma, X-ray, ethylene oxide, vaporized hydrogen peroxide, and steam technologies to safely sanitize various types of medical equipment. The Isomedix plant is only 12 miles from the Linden EtO sterilization facility.

The Cosmed Group facilities located in Linden and Franklin use ethylene oxide gas during their sterilization processes. Although the gas is used in sealed chambers, analysis from the EPA indicates that both sites have (or had) high levels of EtO emissions. At the Linden site, ethylene oxide is used to sterilize agricultural products such as spices, grains, and nuts. At the Franklin site, the gas is used to sterilize medical devices.



EtO Sterilization Processes in Linden, NJ



‍

At EtO Sterilization Plant #2 located in Linden, NJ, ethylene oxide is used to sterilize food products, such as spices, nuts, and grains. Ethylene oxide is primarily used in the sterilization process because it is effective at killing harmful microorganisms on food products that cannot withstand steam or irradiation methods. High heat and moisture can damage the spices or other agricultural products, and ethylene oxide does not need high heat in order to sterilize.

Although the EtO sterilization process is completed in sealed chambers, studies show that gas can be emitted from the plant, polluting nearby communities. Ethylene oxide has been classified as a known human carcinogen, meaning exposure to the toxin can increase a person’s risk of developing certain kinds of cancer. The facility has installed scrubbers to help reduce EtO emissions.



EtO Sterilization Processes in Franklin, NJ



‍

At the Franklin facility, operated by Cosmed of NJ, ethylene oxide is used to sterilize medical instruments, including surgical kits. The gas is used because of its high rate of efficiency in killing harmful microorganisms, making the products safe for use. However, EtO emissions have been linked with an increased risk of cancer, particularly when exposure occurs over a long period of time.

Catalytic oxidizers are used at the Franklin site to help control emissions; however, fugitive emissions can leak from vents, doors, and other areas, presenting a risk to nearby residents.

In 2024, the EPA announced that it would require commercial sterilization facilities to install enhanced pollution controls that would reduce emissions by up to 90%. The Trump administration has delayed compliance with these new rules by two years, meaning companies such as Cosmed have additional time to implement the changes that would help to significantly reduce the toxic gas being released into the environment.

Ethylene oxide is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen by the EPA due to its DNA-damaging qualities. EtO has been studied since the 1940s and has been linked with an increased risk of several kinds of cancer. It is believed that long-term exposure, even at low levels, can cause cancer. 

Cancers linked to ethylene oxide emissions:

• Breast cancer
• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
• Leukemia
• Multiple myeloma


The dense population and urban layout surrounding EtO Sterilization Plant #2 in Linden and the Isomedix plant in South Plainfield exacerbate exposure risks. While, as of 2025, there have been no confirmed cancer clusters at these sites, regulatory agencies such as the EPA and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection are using modeling to inform the public about the potential risks of EtO emissions and to help take action to reduce these risks.

Ethylene oxide sterilization plants are located at 19 Park Drive in Hardyston Township near Franklin Township, 3459 South Clinton Avenue in South Plainfield, and 2500 Brunswick Avenue in Linden, NJ.

The Linden EtO facility was considered high risk by the EPA because of its proximity to a densely populated area and the high rate of emissions. In 2022, EPA modeling suggested that nearby residents may be at a 2,000-in-a-million cancer risk level, strictly from EtO exposure.

At the Linden EtO facility, ethylene oxide is used to sterilize agricultural products like nuts and spices. At the Franklin facility, the gas is used to sterilize medical equipment. At the South Plainfield facility, the gas is used to sterilize medical equipment.

Ethylene oxide is a toxic gas that can damage DNA when inhaled. Studies show that prolonged exposure to EtO emissions can increase a person’s risk of developing certain kinds of cancer because of its mutagenic qualities.

Cancers linked to ethylene oxide exposure include breast cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and lymphoid cancer.

Individuals living within a 4-mile radius of the Linden, South Plainfield, and Franklin facilities may qualify for a lawsuit. However, the best way to determine whether you qualify for an EtO lawsuit is by consulting with an attorney.

As long as you lived within a 4-mile radius of the facility for at least one continuous year after its opening, you may still qualify for a lawsuit even if you subsequently moved away.

The latency period, or amount of time between exposure and diagnosis, for cancers in an ethylene oxide case is between two and five years, depending on the type of cancer.

Former workers at the Linden, South Plainfield, and Franklin facilities are generally ineligible to file a claim unless they also lived within a 4-mile radius of the sites. However, they may qualify for workers compensation claims.

Please contact our firm at 800-34-NJLAW to speak to one of our workers compensation attorneys.

Compensation in a New Jersey EtO lawsuit can vary significantly, depending on the individual circumstances of the case. The value of a claim depends on factors such as the type of cancer and amount of provable damages.

Cases are accepted on a contingency fee basis, meaning there are no upfront legal fees in a New Jersey EtO lawsuit.

The deadline to file a claim in New Jersey for toxic EtO exposure is generally two years from the date of cancer diagnosis or the date from which it could have reasonably been discovered.