The City of Smyrna posted a brief statement on their website in response to the news about two Smyrna-area census tracts exposed to the airborne carcinogenic chemical ethylene oxide.

The statement from the City of Smyrna, entitled “News of Health Concerns Associated with Sterigenics Plant in Proximity to Smyrna City Limits” states:

Though the City of Smyrna was not aware of the health news associated with an area medical plant until this article from WebMD and Georgia Health News, we are now aware and part of a larger set of local and State voices working to address this alarming news and circumstance. Though the Sterigenics plant has a Smyrna mailing address, it is outside of the jurisdiction of your municipal government, but your elected officials – who have learned of this as you have learned of this – are working with others on it.

Ethylene oxide and its effects on three metro Atlanta communities were the subject of a recent article by Brenda Goodman and Andy Miller, jointly published by WebMD and Georgia Health News.