Illinois Attorney General Called To Act In Willowbrook Case

WILLOWBROOK, IL — State Sen. John Curran and DuPage County Board Chairman Dan Cronin are now calling on Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan to work with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and take legal action to revoke Sterigenics International Inc., air permit that was issued in 2015. A report from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, which is a division of the CDC, stated, "If measured and modeled data represent typical EtO ambient concentrations in ambient air, an elevated cancer risk exists for residents and off-site workers in the Willowbrook community surrounding the Sterigenics facility. These evaluated risks present a public health hazard to these populations."

Local political leaders have spoken out about the report and many have called for the company to cease operations until further study can be done. Several pieces of legislation have also been introduced and families have retained a Chicago law firm to investigate emissions as a result of the report.

Now, Curran and Cronin have written a letter to Madigan. In their letter, they state that "it is clear that the permit issued in 2015 allows emissions that are not safe and material mistakes were made in setting the emissions levels allowed by the permit."

The two write in the letter that Sterigenics should not be allowed to continue operation under the current permit, according to a release.

"Please take whatever legal action is necessary to ensure that the health and safety of the public and workers at the plant is protected," the letter states.

“Ensuring the residents of Willowbrook have access to clean air and a healthy community is my top priority,” Curran said in a release. “With the questions that have been raised, and with the information we now have, it’s vital we take every step necessary to address this issue.”

“People who live and work near this company need to know their air is safe to breathe and the authorities who are in charge are unable to give us that assurance,” Cronin said in a release. “Therefore, we urge those regulating this company to revoke its operating permit until testing provides evidence the air near this facility is clear of these dangerous pollutants. Our families have a right to know their environment is safe.”

Curran also filed Senate Bill 3630 in the Illinois Senate that would provide greater protections, and require greater communications, to residents in the event of a hazardous air emission leak.

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