* Michael Hawthorne at the Tribune…
Gov. Bruce Rauner’s administration knew in December that toxic air pollution from the Sterigenics plant in west suburban Willowbrook likely was responsible for some of the highest cancer risks in the nation, according to a letter obtained by the Tribune. […]
In the Dec. 22 letter, sent to a Sterigenics executive, a top official in the U.S. EPA’s Chicago office outlines the results of a preliminary federal analysis linking unusually high cancer risks in the Willowbrook area to the company’s emissions of ethylene oxide, a potent gas used to sterilize medical instruments, pharmaceutical drugs and food.
Copied on the letter is Julie Armitage, chief of the Illinois EPA air bureau.
“EPA has calculated a cancer risk of approximately 1,000 in a million at the nearest residence, exceeding our typical upper limit of cancer risk acceptability,” wrote Ed Nam, director of the regional U.S. EPA air and radiation division. “EPA would like to provide Sterigenics with the opportunity to review our modeling and to suggest improvements for accuracy.” […]
The Illinois EPA responded to the report by quietly giving Sterigenics a permit to voluntarily install new pollution-control equipment, making it more difficult for authorities to pursue legal action against the company unless it can be shown the fix has failed to eliminate health risks from ethylene oxide pollution.
* Two House committees are holding a joint hearing today. Sterigenics has provided a statement to the committee. Its conclusion…
Sterigenics remains committed to the safe use of EO for the sterilization of life-saving medical products at our Willowbrook facility. We work every day to improve patients’ lives. We understand that the materials we use in our processes require diligent stewardship and we take our responsibility very seriously. Our mission, Safeguarding Global HealthTM, begins and ends with the safety of people in mind. We have always worked with the USEPA, ILEPA, OSHA, and the FDA with a commitment to the safety of our employees, the communities and environment in which we operate, and the patients we help to protect. Our employees and their families live in Willowbrook and the surrounding communities and the health and wellbeing of the residents in those communities is very important to us. We outperform the standards set for the safe operation of our facilities and commit to continue to take a leadership role in evolving regulations to reassure residents that they are safe.
*** UPDATE *** State Sen. John Curran…
“It is unacceptable, and beyond comprehension, that the United State Environmental Protection Agency and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency failed to inform residents in a timely manner about the elevated cancer risks associated with the emission of ethylene oxide from the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook. From the moment this issue first came to light in late August, I demanded that Sterigenics cease operations immediately, and I reiterate that call today. As elected officials, our number one priority is to the health and well-being of our residents. In light of today’s discovery, I am calling on these two agencies to provide me with a detailed, written explanation on why they waited so long to inform my constituents about this health risk. Time is of the essence, and their joint delay has done a great disservice to my constituents.”
* US Sen. Dick Durbin…
This is a downright disgrace. Once again, the Rauner and Trump Administrations prioritized public relations over a serious public health hazard. Now, the U.S. EPA and Illinois EPA must finally step up its monitoring of this facility and be fully transparent with the public about the information they have about Sterigenics. Additionally, we need more emissions testing at this plant - something I’ve asked the EPA for repeatedly - a timeline for the EPA to set new health-based standards, and a public meeting for Willowbrook residents. Illinoisans deserve better than this.
- Soccermom - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:00 am:
Yes.
- Huh? - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:11 am:
“Illinois EPA responded to the report by quietly giving Sterigenics a permit”
Way to go 1.4%. Using state government for your personal benefit.
- Flex on me - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:12 am:
Doubtful
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:13 am:
If you think the lede in the Trib story is brutal, wait til you read the second graph:
–The governor’s office and the Rauner-led Illinois Environmental Protection Agency kept the politically explosive information from the public for eight months, then initially downplayed the dangers posed by a company owned in part by the incumbent Republican’s former private equity firm.–
Yay, transparency, yay.
Does the DuPage County SA want to have a look-see as to why the administration did not inform the public of this health risk?
You know, do your job?
- PublicServant - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:16 am:
===We outperform the standards set for the safe operation of our facilities and commit to continue to take a leadership role in evolving regulations to reassure residents that they are safe.===
“We outperform the inadequate standards set for the safe operation of our facilities and commit to continue to take a leadership role in eliminating additional pesky regulations in order to con residents into thinking that they are safe.”
- Fixed it for ya.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:24 am:
“Voting for any Republican gets you all of this”
- Cubs in '16 - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:47 am:
===kept the politically explosive information from the public for eight months, then initially downplayed the dangers posed===
Sounds familiar. I see a pattern with this Administration…
- Jocko - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:47 am:
==We work every day to improve patients’ lives.==
…that includes patients-to-be, both within and outside our plant.
- NeverPoliticallyCorrect - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 10:48 am:
Believing doesn’t make it so. They get a letter in Dec. Indicating a concern from EPA. EPA doesn’t demand an immediate shutdown, just wants to do a visit and talk. Company implements additional controls. And modeling is based on worst case scenario. Doesn’t sound like a company that is engaging in a cover-up.
- wordslinger - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:11 am:
–Doesn’t sound like a company that is engaging in a cover-up.–
I’m guessing you don’t live in the neighborhood.
What was the good reason that the administration didn’t inform the public for eight months, which is the actual point here.
- illini - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:37 am:
Whether keeping your secrets for 8 months as is the case here or only a week as is the case with the Quincy Veterans Home appears to be a recurring pattern. Antone else see this?
- JS Mill - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 11:56 am:
=Doesn’t sound like a company that is engaging in a cover-up.=
Tell that to my family that lives in the area (banned word).
The company may not have covered anything up but the Rauner Administration sure did.
This is what real corruption looks like.
Rauner is corrupt.
- Trapped in the ‘burbs - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 12:24 pm:
When the Trib has to put this out before the election, you can assume that there’s more to it. Bye Bruce. What a missed opportunity. Maybe you should inquire about our extradition policy with Italy.
- Anonymous - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 12:33 pm:
Grand jury number two?
- TominChicago - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 12:35 pm:
Why isn’t JB hammering this one?. It’s better than the toilet story.
- Going nuclear - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 1:05 pm:
Keeping the air toxics study under wraps, stonewalling other state officials and issuing a permit without holding a public meeting. I wouldn’t be surprised to see some “heads roll” at IEPA.
- Chicago 20 - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 1:29 pm:
Just a FYI for future reference, Italy and the USA have an extradition treaty that was signed in 1983.
- SlyJocko - Friday, Oct 26, 18 @ 3:25 pm:
When is Governor Rauner going to be spending a few nights up there with the locals to show all is clear? HMMM…HMMM….Maybe a nice tent camping trip?
- Science lover - Tuesday, Oct 30, 18 @ 3:17 pm:
I believe in Science and not politics. Did Sterigenics ever go over the EPA limits? No. How much EtO does 1 human body manufacture on its own? A lot more than Sterigenics emits it seems. I want everyone to think about that. Also, I want everyone to think about the impact that closing down a medical sterilization facility will have on the state. Are you going to close down the hospitals that also sterilize medical equipment and emit EtO? You do realize that the “modeling” that the Ed Nam and the EPA did was based on old data.
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 30, 18 @ 6:41 pm:
–I believe in Science and not politics.–
Sure you do. Would you live next door to that place? Raise your family there?