Schneider Responds to Conclusion of Ethylene Oxide Monitoring Program in Lake County

Today, Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) released the following statement after the Lake County Health Department, Village of Gurnee, and City of Waukegan announced the conclusion of the ethylene oxide (EtO) monitoring program.

"I have repeatedly called for U.S. EPA to conduct air monitoring of ethylene oxide in our communities, but we continue to be met with inaction and foot-dragging. I commend Lake County, Waukegan, and Gurnee for stepping forward to conduct their own air monitoring in this absence of leadership from the Trump Administration. In particular, I want to thank the Lake County Public Health Department, and especially Executive Director Mark Pfister, for their critical work conducting this air monitoring.

"Their monitoring has informed our community, and for further understanding it is vital that the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry produce a health risk assessment based on this data. I look forward to working with ATSDR to ensure this work is completed in a timely manner so that all of our communities can have confidence in the safety of the air we breathe."

In their press release, LCHD said the complete results have been forwarded to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) for further analysis, and to the Illinois EPA which has regulatory authority over EtO emissions permitting in Illinois. The ATSDR has agreed to conduct a health risk assessment for Lake County based on the results, and Illinois Department of Public Health has agreed to complete a cancer incidence study that includes Lake County. These analyses are expected to take several months.