EPA Results Show Ethylene Oxide Concentrations Around Willowbrook

WILLOWBROOK, IL — The Environmental Protection Agency has released the results of its air quality monitoring which took place in November and December in Willowbrook. The agency said it expects to complete its full assessment of risk from ethylene oxide in Willowbrook by spring.

According to the EPA, results show the two sites located closest to the two Sterigenics buildings are seeing the highest ethylene oxide concentrations. Average readings at those sites are a little over 2 micrograms per cubic meter, with some readings as high as 10 and 11 micrograms per cubic meter.

There were also ethylene oxide concentrations seen at six other sites. The monitors upwind of the Sterigenics buildings have shown concentrations generally ranging from .1 to .5 micrograms per cubic meter, according to the EPA. Monitors downwind of Sterigenics have occasionally seen concentrations as high as 1.7 micrograms per cubic meter.

"Despite the additional data, monitoring information about ethylene oxide in the Willowbrook area remains limited," the EPA said. "It remains premature to draw conclusions about long-term health risks from the data. EPA is continuing to monitor in the Willowbrook area and will continue to post data as it becomes available. We expect to post data from several January sampling days soon."

However, several communities and local leaders are calling for the immediate shutdown of Sterigenics. Rep. Dan Lipinski called for the EPA to immediately shut down the facility until they come up with a plan that will protect the public from excessive emissions and cancer risk.

“Almost all of the measurements, taken in late November and early December, are over the EPA action threshold for cancer risk, and the highest number is 350 times the limit," Lipinski said in a release. "The more data we see from Willowbrook, the worse the situation looks. We have enough evidence now to say that Sterigenics is not protecting the public, even after it upgraded its pollution control equipment this past summer."

Attorney General Kwame Raul and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin also released a joint statement regarding Sterigenics. The two said they were deeply troubled by recent media reports showing improper operations at Sterigenics.

"We have also since learned just this afternoon from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that 12 more days of EtO sampling results from November and December 2018 show a clear link between EtO emissions from the Sterigenics facilities and elevated EtO levels within the Willowbrook community," they said in a statement. "The citizens of DuPage County should not have to endure this exposure to a known human carcinogen."

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