damon. most of all, i want to thank you, dr. dre, for being here, that was so much fun. >> thank you. >> jimmy: i really appreciate you sitting and talking. >> thanks for having me. [ cheers and applause ] this has been a lot of fun. >> jimmy: dr. dre, everybody. [ cheers and applause ] "nightline" is next. thanks for watching, good night! ♪ this is "nightline." >> byron: tonight, invisible threat? >> this lady here, she has

cancer. she has cancer. so this is ground zero. >> byron: you can't see it, taste it, and usually can't smell it. but could exposure to this powerful gas used to sterilize billions of medical devices each year increase your risk of cancer? >> we will have a crisis on our hands if ethylene oxide were to go away entirely. >> byron: residents of neighborhoods near these plants say they're in harm's way. >> i thought this was my american dream. but then, you know, it kind of turned into an american nightmare. >> byron: with nearly 90 plants across the country, what actions are being taken to keep americans safe? plus, missing college student. >> he's my best friend. >> byron: 11 days after riley strain was asked to leave a popular that popular nashua bar, the search growing desperate. spotted later on night on police body cam. >> how are you doing, sir? >> good, how are you? >> byron: finding his bank card in the uneven terrain of a

riverbank. >> you found his credit card? >> byron: how could he have just disappeared? ♪ ♪ this ain't texas ♪ >> byron: and beyonce. the superstar with the number one "texas hold 'em" speaking out about racism and the social media firestorm over her upcoming country album. - bye, bye cough. - later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any cough, day or night. mucinex dm. it's comeback season. now try mucinex instasoothe sore throat medicated drops. my frequent heartburn had me taking antacid after antacid all day long but with prilosec otc just one pill a day blocks heartburn for a full 24 hours. for one and done heartburn relief, prilosec otc. one pill a day, 24 hours, zero heartburn.

but we're just getting started. everything going well? oh yeah. let's take a look at this knee. because it's the work behind the scenes, that truly matters. [ physical therapy staff discusses results ] for your mind. for your body. and for the community. -team! for all that is me, for all that is you. kaiser permanente. ♪ >> byron: good evening. thank you for joining us.

tonight, some families say their health has been threatened for years by something they can't even tell is there. the federal government has just released stricter air toxic standards for facilities that use the gas ethylene oxide, which is essential for keeping america's medical equipment sterile and safe. but some who lived for years near eto treatment plants fear the damage may already have been done. memphis, the city of kings. where martin died, elvis lived, and the blues and barbecue are part of a family's bloodline. but this is south memphis. here residents say there's a possible hidden threat infiltrating their community. >> so this is ground zero? >> all these houses here, this is how close it is. >> reporter: these houses are less than a quarter mile from the plant? >> exactly. this lady year, that's his mother. she has cancer.

this house, she has cancer. you know about that sterilization company right behind sinus. >> reporter: vera holms' family has lived in memphis for generations. she's a hometown college basketball star who became a local businesswoman. >> we definitely want you to come to the meeting. >> reporter: now turned activist. >> i want to make sure that we protect you. and my mom and all the here. >> reporter: her mission, she says, to sound the alarm about ethylene oxide, or eto. >> you can see it from here. >> reporter: it's colorless, at times odorless, difficult to contain, and even more difficult to detect. it's been escaping as emissions out of a facility just outside their doorsteps. people in this neighborhood fear it may be threatening their lives. but it's essential for sterilizing medical equipment, ventilators, syringes, catheters, all treated with it. america's hospitals rely on eto to prevent infections and ensure patient safety.

you can see it in use here in an ad for a company called medline. >> ethylene oxide is injected into the chamber -- >> reporter: according to the fda, half the sterile medical devices us you'ded every year in our country, around 20 billion, are treated with eto. >> ethylene oxide is the most widely used safe and effective, scientifically proven, modality for medical device sterilization not only in the united statesstates but worldwide. >> reporter: it's a double-edged sword. while there's no risk to doctors and patients using devices sterilized with eto, the gas is a known carcinogen and breathing it in over time increases the risk of some cancers, including lymphoma, leukemia, stomach, and breast cancers. there are 88 facilities located across the country, 32, states, and puerto rico. in august 2022, the epa

announced a list of 23 of them whose emissions contributed to elevated lifetime cancer risk for people living nearby. the federal government now cracking down on eto emissions, and it's become a flashpoint for neighborhoods like vera's in tennessee. >> south memphis residents say local health leaders are not doing enough for residents who may have been exposed to a cancer-causing chemical. >> the racial injustice here, we cannot ignore. this is what happens in predominantly black neighborhoods. >> reporter: to illinois. >> stereo-genics is accused of illegally releasing a cancer-causing waste into the air at its facility which permanently closed in 2019. they're denying any liability. >> reporter: to texas. >> we, the people of laredo, a proud texas city, cannot allow any of you to take advantage of

us any longer, thank you. >> we will have a crisis in our hands if ethylene oxide were to go away entirely. >> reporter: those caught in the crosshairs, people living in the shadows of the facilities. how big a concern is it? >> well, with epa, environmental protection agency, if they're concerned, that's major. because so many people that i know within my family live in this area, have died of cancer or have cancer now. they are sick. >> byron: this pains you? >> yes. because it doesn't have to be like this. >> byron: those potentially impacted by eto exposure most likely live in working-class neighborhoods like families who have lived in memphis for years who are unaware of the possible hidden risk next door. >> there are many facilities around the country -- >> byron: in 2022, officials from the epa flew there to speak about the potential risk connected with sterilization services of tennessee. >> the best solution to reducing

this risk is to reduce the amount of currently not-regulated ethylene oxide emissions coming out of this facility. >> byron: scientists say it's nearly impossible to link any one person's cancer to ethylene oxide, but eurell grand, who's lived here 35 years, wonders if his diagnosis of stage 4 colon cancer is related. he says he's not alone. >> i'm very concerned. at first i thought it was me, isolated thing. now i'm learning almost blocks of people have colon cancer. >> reporter: he can't afford to move, with the mounting medical bills. >> i thought it was my american dream right here. have a home, have a house. then it turned into an american nightmare. >> byron: it's stories like his that motivate vera's activism. the church in the heart of the

impact zone, dozens of residents making their voices heard. >> good morning, good morning, good morning. >> good morning! >> we want you to share your thoughts on what's going on with this sterilization company. we need your input. >> i've had cancer. my neighbors on both sides have had cancer. my neighbor across the street has cancer. we're all seeing the same doctor. >> it's been going on 37 years. why now? >> this is south memphis. this is not the path of least resistance. this is the path of resilience. >> reporter: vera is partnering with keyshawn pearson, another local activist who calls southern memphis a sacrifice zone. how do we get to this point? why is there so much pollution in this one area of the city? >> so the city as a whole has an "f" in air pollution, air quality. and 98% of t

matter is here in south memphis. that is not coincidental, it is by design. this area specifically is a place where people's lives can be sacrificed. south memphis is a place where historically, industry has been able to get away with poisoning our air, our water, and our soil. >> byron: more than 800 miles away, laredo, texas, a border town, population about 250,000. mostly working class, mostly hispanic. it's a bustling center for trade. >> this is one of the largest warehousing areas in the city. we have residential areas right next to this industrial area, within a couple of miles. >> byron: nestled in middle of it all, midwest sterilization corporation. >> this is where midwest sterilization starts. >> reporter: victor trevino jr. is an attorney who's lived here his whole life. he's alarmed by the levels of

eto escaping from this facility, which has been in operation since 2005. >> we are disproportionately carrying more emission burden because of plants like midwest sterilization. because all the sterilization kits from all over the country and the world, up to 40% of all the nation's sterilization kits come here to be sterilized. >> byron: there are schools within a few miles of midwest. >> in this area, we know that there are studies that show 10 or more schools locally are in the top 1% exposure to toxic emissions. that's really problematic. out of all the schools in the united states, we have 10 in the top 1%. this is really a crisis for us, at this point. >> byron: many of the people in this community are already disadvantaged. >> laredo is 95% hispanic population. we have one of the highest poverty rates in the state.

>> we are here tonight because we are concerned about a specific type of air pollution here if in laredo. >> reporter: in 2022, the epa also visited laredo to raise awareness. >> i'll get that, you get that -- >> reporter: for years, local activists sheila and tricia have taken it upon themselves to get the word out. >> got the flyers, english, spanish -- >> reporter: the people here live minutes from midwest. many said they had no idea the plant was there. >> we met very interesting people today. people that are interested in this. people who have had family members and children that have passed away from cancer. some people knew about the issue, others didn't. that's what makes our work so important. >> byron: midwest telling abc

news they've always been in compliance with the state and federal regulations and continue to be, and "our top priority is ensuring we can continue keeping communities safe while helping safe patients' lives. we're firmly committed to doing everything possible to continue to reduce emissions and people populations safe." now changes on a federal level. under mounting pressure and for the first time in nearly 30 years, the epa last week releasing new rules for commercial sterilizers that use eto, aiming to reduce emissions by more than 90%. facilities will have to implement major changes, including pollution control, vent lation systems, and increased monitoring and reporting. the ceo of adva-med speaking out about potential changes. we've made it clear we welcome updated regulations. after all, our industry's commitment to saving and improving lives does not end

where sterilization begins. >> reporter: adding in a statement, "they have worked with epa and fda to enhance and not hinder their process." but facilities could cake two, three years or longer to comply with the ruling. the fda says it's important to balance reducing emissions while not jeopardizing the medical device supply chain. >> it is not a zero sum game. we have to be able to achieve these objectives in parallel and together. >> byron: in the meantime, people like vera worry about the impact on their neighbors. last year, sterilization services of tennessee announced they would move to a new location outside of memphis. in a letter to congress, the company said they've never been out of compliance with reference to federal state and local mandates. >> and on this side -- >> byron: for now, it's still in operation. for vera, her fight won't stop until it's closed.

i get the sense you've shed tears over this? >> i have been on my knees. you know? and i truly believe that the power of god, you know, jesus christ, the holy spirit, is really making a change. people are tired. they're afraid to speak up or speak out, but that's up to us as leaders to step in and say, hey, we hear you. we can make some things happen. because it don't take many, it just takes the right team to do the right things. >> byron: when we come back, how could a 6'5" fraternity brother just disappear in nashville? the desperate search tonight for riley strain. an all-in-one cleaning tool that gives you a mop and bucket clean in half the time ♪ our cleaning pad has hundreds of scrubbing strips that absorb and lock dirt away,

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♪ >> byron: welcome back. there are many more questions than answers about the disappearance of a college student out for a night of 91 with friends in nashville. those questions only growing as days go by without any sign of 22-year-old riley strain. >> right now, we really are focusing on -- >> focusing on bringing riley home. he's my best friend. >> reporter: a new grassroots effort is kicking off in nashville, the hunt for missing university of missouri student riley strain. planning a search of the cumberland river with the support of the nashville police department. the last time anyone saw ruly strain was the night of march 8th, over 10 days ago. the 6'5" university of missouri senior was visiting nashville with fraternity brothers. after leaving a downtown bar alone, he seemingly vanished,

almost without a trace. the bar, luke's 32 bridge, owned by country star claim "security made a decision based on our conduct starts to escort him out of the bar." glimpses of him sporadically picked up by cctv cameras. >> there's a void there. and he fell off the face of the earth right there in that void. so whether he got in a you know, we don't know. >> byron: authorities searching by foot, drone, and boat, using sonar to scan the river. >> we're utilizing absolutely every resource we can possibly think of at this point. >> byron: the lack of progress spurring online sleuths to jump in on the manhunt, including nashville area resident brandi baynen. >> i was sitting at home, i just need to go down and look. >> byron: stretching their search live on tiktok,

unearthing a new clue. strain's bank card found on a live bank. >> i found his credit card! >> we found his credit card, we've got to hang up the phone. >> oh my god. my first reaction was, this is serious. my stomach sank. we both looked at each other, like, is this real? >> byron: monday, nashville pd releasing fresh body camera footage of strain briefly interacting with an officer. >> how are you doing, sir? >> good, how are you? >> byron: his last confirmed communication. his family says riley's cell phone was last tracked a mile from the bar in the opposite direction of his hotel, suggesting he may have been disoriented. authorities have been unable to successfully ping his cell phone since. >> there has not been any evidence that has come forward to change this to an ongoing criminal investigation at this time. the priority remains locating riley. >> we appreciate more than you'll ever know the outpouring that we've received from the

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♪ >> byron: finally tonight,

beyonce speaking out. ♪ this ain't texas ain't no hold 'em ♪ >> byron: the superstar is the first black woman to top the hot country songs chart. "texas hold 'em" is the lead single from "act two: cowboy carter." in a moving instagram post beyonce writing the album was five years in the making and "born out of an experience that i had years ago where i did not feel welcome." many fans believe she was likely referring to backlash after she sang "daddy lessons" with the chicks at the 2016 cmas. beyonce sang their reaction inspired her to do "a deeper dive into the history of country music, and studying our rich musical archive." she goes on, "it feels good to see how music can unite so many people around the world." and while beyonce says she's honored by her country chart first, she says she