By Joanna Chlystek
August 2019 brought the
one-year anniversary of the discovery that our community had been exposed to
decades of a Group 1 carcinogen and the formation of “Stop Sterigenics.”
The Facebook group recently topped 8,000 members and our resolve to protect our
community from toxic ethylene oxide emissions is stronger than
ever.
On Friday, September 13,
members from the Stop Sterigenics team stood by staff from the Illinois
Environmental Council, legislators, and members of the Stop ETO community in
Lake County to announce new legislation: HB3888. This bill is sponsored
by Rep. Rita Mayfield, Rep. Joyce Mason, Rep. Sam Yingling, Rep. Anne
Stava-Murray, and supported by Sen. John Curran and Sen. Melinda Bush. It is a
comprehensive bill that will do the following:
● Phase out EtO
emissions or both Ethylene Oxide and Propylene Oxide by 2021 for sterilization
facilities, and 2022 for urban hospitals, 2025 for rural hospitals.
● Prevent emissions from
hospitals or sterilizers near population centers and schools, and includes a
regional cap on emissions.
● Requires air
monitoring for all emissions sources.
● Requires reporting by
the Illinois EPA on where EtO is used, how much is used, and the estimated
impact.
● Requires reporting of
EtO emissions by all manufacturers.
● Explicitly prohibits
the uncontrolled venting or dumping of ethylene oxide.
● Enhances public
information for community members, including plans of the phase-out for each
site.
We are hoping for bill
HB3888 to enter committee by the end of this month. We will need your support
soon and we will be asking you for your help by contacting your State
Representative & State Senator and asking them to support it.
Leader Durkin also
entered HB3885, which is a bill that allows home-rule communities with
sterilizers to prohibit ethylene oxide sterilization in its boundaries.
This bill does not currently cover propylene oxide or prevent a sterilizer from
moving into an unincorporated area, or near a school. There is a chance that
Leader Durkin will improve this bill or components of it will be included in
HB3888.
- The situation is evolving, please check facebook.com/stopsterigenics for the latest updates or stopsterigenics.com for general updates.
If you are interested in
joining the fight against toxic air, please visit stopsterigenics.com to join the mailing list, make a donation, and/or complete a
volunteer form.
