An Augusta medical equipment processor will close permanently, taking all 213 jobs with it.
The closure of KPR US, located at 1430 Marvin Griffin Rd., will occur in phases, according to a March 10 letter from KPR parent company Cardinal Health to Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson.
KPR (Kendall Patient Rehabilitation Center) specializes in the reprocessing and sterilization of disposable medical equipment.
KPR uses ethylene oxide instead of steam to sterilize its products. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency determined the organic compound to be carcinogenic in 2016, and in 2021, more than 20 current and former Augusta residents filed a lawsuit against KPR in an attempt to link the plant’s emissions to cancer, miscarriages and birth defects.
Is it dangerous? Lawsuit says emissions from Augusta medical device sterilization plant increase cancer risks
On March 13, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it was proposing to relax current restrictions on ethylene oxide and that the plant would be closed on the grounds that the substance is used to sterilize approximately 50% of sterile medical equipment in the United States.
“The Trump EPA is committed to ensuring that life-saving medical equipment continues to provide critical care to America’s children, seniors, and all patients without unnecessary exposure in the community,” EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said in a statement.
According to KPR, its 211 positions at 1430 Marvin Griffin will be phased out starting May 15, with a complete closure expected around September 30. There are two additional positions at the nearby office at 1647 Perkins Rd. will also be affected.
Cardinal said in his letter to the mayor that KPR also hopes to host job fairs and “on-site outplacement workshops” for employees, who will receive severance and COBRA subsidies to assist with obtaining health insurance.
This article originally appeared in The Augusta Chronicle: KPR Medical Sterilization Plant in South Augusta closes, 213 jobs eliminated