Andersen Sterilizers Selected for the 2020 Small Business Environmental Stewardship Award
The National Steering Committee (NSC) of the Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs (SBEAPs) and Small Business Ombudsmen (SBO) have recognized Andersen Sterilizers with the 2020 Small Business Environmental Stewardship Award. The medical device manufacturer based in Haw River, North Carolina, was recognized for its high-efficiency, low-emission sterilization process, and its cooperation with State and Federal officials on regulatory and permitting issues.
Dr. H.W. Andersen, MD, founder and chairman of the Andersen companies, remarked; “When my father and I developed our sterilization method, one of our goals was to use Ethylene Oxide (EO) more efficiently than traditional chamber systems. For many years, few people cared about the efficiency of our process. I am very grateful to have this recognition of our long-standing corporate commitment to environmental stewardship.”
Andersen Sterilizers was recognized for partnering with the NC SBEAP on regulatory assistance with the complex permit process for a new state-of-the-art contract sterilization facility, and for selection to serve on SBA’s Small Business Advocacy Review (SBAR) Panel for new proposed EPA regulations on facilities using EO.
“This award is a big deal to us,” said Andersen President and CEO, Ted May. “Environmental stewardship has been part of our DNA from the company’s founding. As an American manufacturer whose medical devices are used all over the world, we are very proud to have our technology and commitment to the environment recognized.”
“Andersen Products is a remarkable small business deserving of the Small Business Environmental Stewardship Award” said Jamie Ragan, director of the Division of Environmental Assistance and Customer Service. “Working with DEQ’s Small Business Ombudsman, Andersen Products has demonstrated its commitment to North Carolina’s natural heritage through its ability to capture 99 percent of its emissions. They should be commended for their efforts to protect public health and the environment.“
This award follows other recent national attention on the Andersen high-efficiency, low-emission EO flexible chamber sterilization method. In 2019, Andersen made a series of presentations to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), culminating in the November 2019, the FDA Advisory Committee meeting on Reduction or Elimination of Ethylene Oxide Emissions for Medical Device Sterilization. In 2020, FDA acknowledged Andersen’s emission-reducing technology by awarding Andersen Scientific as a “Innovation Challenge Winner.” The FDA announced its Innovation Challenge to “develop strategies or technologies to reduce emissions to as close to zero as possible from the EO sterilization process.” Andersen Scientific operates the EO Flexible Chamber process at its new state-of-the-art contract sterilization facility outside of Research Triangle Park (RTP), North Carolina.
The Andersen EO Flexible Chamber Technology uses an innovative system of sterilization bags and small, 17.6-gram, EO cartridges. When combined with Andersen emission abators, this 21st-century sterilization system releases less than a gram of EO into the environment per cycle.
The SBEAP/SBO National Steering Committee (NSC) Awards are the states’ premier awards program for recognizing outstanding environmental leadership among small businesses and small business assistance providers. These awards recognize small businesses who have made significant contributions to protecting the environment. The awards program is sponsored by the SBEAP/SBO NSC in partnership with U.S. EPA Asbestos and Small Business Office.
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More information about the SBEAP/SBO is available at nationalsbeap.org.
About the Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs and Small Business Ombudsmen
The Small Business Environmental Assistance Programs (SBEAP) and Small Business Ombudsmen (SBO) were created under Section 507 of the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. For more than 25 years the SBEAP/SBO have provided extensive hands-on technical assistance to small businesses across the country to help them understand and comply with complex environmental regulations. The SBEAP/SBO website, nationalsbeap.org, is a resource for program participants and small businesses. Find your state-specific contact at nationalsbeap.org/states.