Carson facility charged for allegedly exposing employees to toxic chemical

A Carson business faces felony charges for allegedly failing to protect its employees from a toxic chemical linked to cancer and other health risks. 

The Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office alleged that Parter Sterilization Services attempted to conceal the dangers of ethylene oxide by filing false documents and hiding critical safety risks from regulators. The hazardous gas is linked to cancer, reproductive harm and neurological damage. 

Prosecutors charged the president of the company and manager of the facility, Hormoz Foroughi and Amine Elmaziati, with failure to disclose a serious concealed danger, forgery, filing a false document, disposal of hazardous waste at an unpermitted site and illegal storage of hazardous waste at a site without a permit.  

If convicted as charged, they face a maximum of six years in state prison. 

"This case sends a clear message: If you expose your workers to dangerous chemicals and then falsify records or mislead regulators, we will come after you," District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman said.  "Companies that cut corners and conceal hazards not only endanger lives, they violate the public's trust. We will hold them accountable, and any business that thinks otherwise should consider this a warning."

With the LA County Fire Department and the California Department of Toxic Substances Control, investigators from the DA's office executed a search warrant at Parter Medical Products Inc. on July 17.

Prosecutors asked anyone with information relevant to the investigation to contact Assistant Head Deputy Daniel Wright at (213) 257-3001.