STOP STERIGENICS UPDATE 8/16/2019
By Joanna Chlystek
On Thursday August 1st a crowd of about a hundred, according to
media reports, came out to protest the issuance of a permit to Sterigenics, an
area company long known to have polluted Willowbrook and nearby communities
with a Class 1 Carcinogen: ethylene oxide. The firm currently is under a
seal order, which restricts it from using EtO, due to its exceeding EPA
emissions limits, but is seeking to resume operations following the
construction of new controls. It is the position of Stop Sterigenics that EtO
is unsafe at any level, and that the Willowbrook Sterigenics facility should
never reopen again. Following the protest, around 500 participants
attended the Illinois EPA Public Meeting.
Stop Sterigenics communicates through a variety of channels such
as its Facebook page, but also strong media contacts, editorials, and relationships
with other advocates in the fight for clean air are keeping the focus on this
topic. As a result, just last month, July 2019, another community, this time in
Smyrna Georgia, discovered that they too were being exposed to EtO from
Sterigenics. We quickly reached out and
have teamed up to provide guidance and support to that community sharing
lessons to help the residents of Smyrna deal with this new reality they are
facing. We’ll continue to work together, for the collective benefit of all
affected communities.
This fight is far from over though. The Illinois EPA announced
they will accept written comments on the permit until August 15th
and they will render a decision thereafter. Concurrently, the
municipalities will be filing a brief to the courts regarding the action
against Sterigenics, and that matter goes back to court on September 6th
to determine if the judge will uphold the consent agreement issued to
Sterigenics by the Illinois EPA. This is an important date and Stop
Sterigenics is asking community members to make plans to be in attendance for
the hearing on September 6th at
the DuPage County Court House.
On Saturday, August 24th from 5:30-6:30 PM Stop
Sterigenics will hold a Vigil in front of the Sterigenics Willowbrook facility,
located at 7775 S Quincy St., to commemorate the one-year anniversary of our
community learning about Sterigenics’ EtO emissions. It is a time to look back on the suffering,
the loss, and the perseverance of our collective communities, which have banded
together to confront the threat head on. The vigil is also to remind us what
we’ve achieved and what remains to be completed, keeping us focused on our
objective to breathe easier, figuratively and literally, when we’re finally
done. For more information please visit our event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/704074526732827/
Many in Chicagoland are at risk, as EtO can reach upwards of 20
miles from its source. Given the number of facilities in the area and to
the north of us, there may not be very many ‘safe zones’ free from this
carcinogen. A taller stack, which is what is being proposed in the Willowbrook
Sterigenics Construction Permit, may only further its EtO reach. It’s
important for all those living in Chicago and its surrounding communities to
call on their local government, their municipalities, and ask for resolutions
to ban the use of this toxic pollutant. Contact information for legislators is
available on the Stop Sterigenics site, under the heading ‘More’.
Stop Sterigenics is also asking the community to continue its
calls on Governor Pritzker to call a special session and pass a ban on EtO
emissions for the safety of this community. Information on this topic is
constantly in a state of flux and keeping up to date to mobilize quickly is
key. Subscribing to the Stop Sterigenics site is one way to stay in the loop.
Another is to follow us on Twitter and Facebook. We can’t do it without
support from the community and since we are a volunteer organization, we accept
donations which is how we continue to improve mechanisms and tools to keep
communications active, ensuring this topic remains relevant until resolved.
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