Lipinski Calls For New Testing Method At Sterigenics

WILLOWBROOK, IL — After a visit to the Willowbrook Sterigenics facility, Congressman Dan Lipinski is calling for new ethylene oxide emissions testing to be done at the facility. According to a release, Lipinski wants Sterigenics to work with the U.S. and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to conduct fenceline air quality monitoring to give a clearer picture of the pollution levels crossing their property boundary.

Recent stack testing from the EPA showed how much EtO is emitted from Sterigenics’ scrubber, but not how much potentially leaks out through windows, doors, its heating and air conditioning system, and other sources. According to the EPA, recent results included monitors detecting ethylene oxide in the air at the two sites closest to the Sterigenics facility.

“Yesterday I visited Sterigenics’ main Willowbrook facility to see for myself the building and how
the plant operates, as well as where the EPA has conducted ambient air testing,” Lipinski said in a release. “Following up on this visit and in consultation with outside scientists, today I am calling on Sterigenics to begin – as soon as possible – testing for EtO around the perimeter of its two buildings in Willowbrook."

Lipinski said this testing should be done in conjunction with the EPA and in a transparent manner that can be scientifically verified by an independent third party.

"I continue to stand by my statement that Sterigenics should be shut down unless we can be assured that it is not a public health threat,” Lipinski said in a release.

The EPA released another round of air sample results Dec. 17 for EtO around the two Sterigenics facilities. The first set of results released on Dec. 7 showed a high concentration of EtO on Nov. 19 at the two testing sites closest to the plant.

"The new results for testing conducted on Nov. 23 differ from the previous results, but only raised more questions and cannot be said to demonstrate that Sterigenics is not a public health threat," a release from Lipinski's office stated.

According to a release, the EPA’s estimate of EtO’s cancer risk has been recently updated after 30 years and the risk is now believed to be at least 30 times higher than previously thought. This meant the excess cancer risk around Sterigenics is 300 cancer cases per million people, well above the level of 100 cases per million that the EPA uses as a threshold to take action.

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