Now that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) plans to conduct a follow-up ambient air quality study at Sterigenics US LLC, U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam (R-IL) wants the biotechnological company’s Willowbrook, Ill., plant closed until emissions testing is completed.
“I am pleased to report that because we demanded action, the EPA admitted to the need for a new ambient air test, as well as a smokestack test, and agreed to complete both immediately,” said Rep. Roskam on Oct. 31. “However, it is critical that the families receive some assurance that they and their children are safe now.”
Toward that goal, the lawmaker said he agreed with the Illinois EPA to temporarily close the Sterigenics facility until testing is finished and the subsequent results are released.
“The residents of Willowbrook and surrounding communities have lived with more questions than answers ever since the National Air Toxics Assessment was updated to reflect the increased risk posed by ethylene oxide emitted from the Sterigenics plant in Willowbrook,” Rep. Roskam said. “The consternation of mothers and fathers all across these communities is heartbreaking – no one should ever feel helpless to protect themselves or their families.”
Earlier this fall, Rep. Roskam received a commitment from William Wehrum, an EPA assistant administrator, that the agency shared the lawmaker’s concerns about the ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions from the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook, a village in Roskam’s district.
The EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation plans to collect, analyze and communicate technical information from its testing to provide updated information to the public regarding potential emissions of the toxic, cancer-causing EtO chemicals, Wehrum wrote in a Sept. 27 letter sent to the congressman.
Following this phase of EPA testing, the agency will update the National Air Toxics Assessment Map with the results and also plans to release a comprehensive resource guide to help local residents understand the meaning of the results.
Rep. Roskam called reports about the potential toxic emissions from the company’s plant “very serious and concerning.” He said his office immediately began working with Willowbrook Mayor Frank Trilla, the Illinois EPA and Region 5 U.S. EPA Administrator Cathy Stepp to get answers for the local communities.
“We will bring every needed state and federal resource to bear to determine the scope of the problem and ensure the health and safety of families in our community,” Rep. Roskam said this week.
Sterigenics offers medical and pharmaceutical sterilization, laboratory testing, food safety, gamma irradiation, contract sterilization, and consultancy services to a global customer base.
Before Rep. Roskam’s request that the Sterigenics plant in Willowbrook be closed during EPA testing, U.S. Attorney General (AG) Lisa Madigan and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin on Oct. 30 filed a lawsuit against Sterigenics US alleging air pollution violations due to the release of EtO at the site.
The lawsuit seeks to ban Sterigenics from further air pollution violations and seeks an operating or emission limit to protect human health and the environment, according to a statement from the state AG’s office.
If the court determines there’s no safe level of EtO emissions in the community, the attorneys have requested that the court ban the company from all EtO emissions, according to the statement.
“For too long, Sterigenics emitted a dangerous, toxic chemical into the air putting the public’s health at risk,” Illinois AG Madigan said. “In addition to filing our lawsuit, I urge the General Assembly to pass legislation to ban or greatly restrict the use of ethylene oxide in Illinois.”