Politics & Government
Downers Grove Not Currently 'At Risk' Due To Sterigenics: Village
Village officials say residents have raised concerns about the village's air safety since the Willowbrook plant was forced to shut down.
DOWNERS GROVE, IL -- Addressing concerns brought up by residents at recent village meetings, Downers Grove officials have reassured residents that the village is not currently considered "at risk" for exposure to chemicals from Sterigenics. In a post on Facebook, officials said they have been "actively participating" in legal proceedings to keep Sterigenics shuttered and that will take "appropriate actions as needed" if Downers Grove is identified in the Environmental Protection Agency's upcoming full risk report.
As part of DuPage Mayors and Managers Conference, Downers Grove officials say they have supported Senate Bill 1854, which was recently approved in the Illinois General Assembly to keep the Sterigenics facilities closed. The village also thanked Downers Grove resident and State Senator John Curran for taking on the legal efforts to get a law passed against Sterigenics reopening.
The Willowbrook-based health equipment sterilization plant has been closed since February, when the EPA shut it down after record high levels of ethylene oxidewere detected in the surrounding area. As the controversy unfolded, employees of Sterigenics also revealed to news sources that they had been instructed to "dump ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol into the sewer system," according to an earlier Patch article.
Find out what's happening in Downers Grovefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
As of May 20, EPA research estimated that the lifetime risk of cancer fromexposure to ethylene oxide for those in residential areas surrounding the plant "ranged from less than 100 in 1 million to 1,000 in a million in areas closest to the facility." This research included "communities in Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, Darien and Indian Head Park," according to the EPA website.
Downers Grove officials said they appreciated community's concern over the ongoing Sterigenics crisis. They also encouraged residents to support Curran in his push to keep Sterigenics closed.
Find out what's happening in Downers Grovefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
