Schneider, Duckworth, Durbin, Underwood Demand Ambient Air Monitoring of Ethylene Oxide for Lake County Communities

Today, U.S. Representatives Brad Schneider (D-IL-10) and Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) urged the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to begin ambient air monitoring of two facilities in Lake County that emit Ethylene Oxide (EtO).

In their letter to Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum of the EPA Air and Radiation Division, the Members of Congress cite the recently uncovered divergence between the self-reported emissions data and recently-released ambient air data for the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook as renewed urgency for monitoring of the Medline Industries facility in Waukegan and Vantage Specialty Chemicals facility in Gurnee.

"[W]e demand EPA immediately begin ambient air monitoring for the two facilities in Lake County. Our constituents deserve to know more about emissions in their backyard and we see absolutely no reason for further delay," write the Members of Congress.

The Members of Congress also stress that the approximately 23,000 constituents who live near the Medline and Vantage facilities deserve more transparency.

"It is essential that EPA provide the local communities with more information—as quickly as possible—about ambient EtO levels. Our constituents deserve greater assurance that the air they breathe is safe," write the Members of Congress.

Full text of the letter is included below

Mr. Bill Wehrum
Assistant Administrator
Air and Radiation Division
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20460

Dear Assistant Administrator Wehrum:

We write to you to reiterate our concern about the industrial usage of ethylene oxide (EtO) in Lake County, IL, and urge you to begin monitoring for EtO in the communities near Medline Industries, Inc. in Waukegan, IL, and Vantage Specialty Chemicals, Inc. in Gurnee, IL, immediately. As underscored by the deeply alarming data published last week by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on ambient air levels of EtO in Willowbrook due to the Sterigenics facility, this remains a critical issue to us—and to our constituents who live near facilities that emit EtO.

The divergence between the self-reported emissions data and recently-released ambient air data in Willowbrook makes clear that we cannot rely on self-reported data from EtO-emitting facilities alone to determine the risk local communities face. EPA's monitoring showed that, despite taking significant steps to mitigate fugitive emissions, ambient EtO levels were as high as 350 times the allowable threshold around the Sterigenics facility. As a result, we demand EPA immediately begin ambient air monitoring for the two facilities in Lake County. Our constituents deserve to know more about emissions in their backyard and we see absolutely no reason for further delay.

Although we appreciate that EPA has been working with the two facilities in Lake County that use EtO to assess their emissions levels, we are disappointed the EPA has not yet begun ambient air monitoring in the areas surrounding these facilities. It is essential that EPA provide the local communities with more information—as quickly as possible—about ambient EtO levels. Our constituents deserve greater assurance that the air they breathe is safe.

There are approximately 23,000 constituents living near these facilities—we cannot stress the urgency with which we view this issue. We appreciate your consideration of our concerns and expect you to act with the necessary expediency that this situation merits. Please do not hesitate to contact our staff should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

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