This is going to be different than my usual blog post, and it will be a little more personal. But I feel compelled to speak on the issue of Sterigenics and ETO. As you probably already know, I recently came home for a while after living away for the past few years. You may not know that home for me is the western suburbs of Chicago. Or if you’re reading this, maybe some of you went to high school or middle school with me. Maybe, like me, you’ve moved downtown or out-of-state, but the issue I feel compelled to write about is probably affecting your family and friend still living in the area.
You may or may not know that in August of this year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Service’s Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry released a report stating that the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook, right behind the Target on Kingery, has been emitting ETO (ethylene oxide), a Class 1 cancer-causing pollutant, into the air since the 1980s. ETO is used to sterilize medical equipment, but the U.S. Department of Labor clearly outlines serious short and long term effects. In the short term, ETO exposure can cause dizziness, nausea, headache, convulsions, blisters, and vomiting. However, in the long term, ETO can cause miscarriages, genetic damage, nerve damage, impaired memory, and a slew of cancers (Leukemia, Stomach, Pancreatic). As far back as 1981, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health was able to clearly link ETO exposure to cancer in lab rats.
The cancer rates within a few mile radius of this facility, an area that includes most of Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, Hinsdale, and Darien, are alarmingly high. The cancer rates are in the 99.9th percentile in this area, and the ETO emission levels are 65x higher than what the EPA allows. These statistics are second only to “cancer alley” in Louisiana, which is even more worrisome considering the fact that there are 4 schools within a mile radius of this facility, including Hinsdale South High School, where I spent every day for 4 years.
photo credit: @ifran4forest on Instagram
Sterigenics was given an operating permit in the 1980s when they opened their facility on the grounds that the land was zoned industrial, but the fact is that it should never have been zoned that way. It certainly shouldn’t be zoned such now with so many homes, schools, and parks within mere miles. Based on the exposure map provided by EPA, most people who live in DuPage County have likely been exposed either by living, working, shopping, or going to school in the affected area. That’s at least 750,000 that have probably had some exposure, and 55,000 that have almost definitely had major exposure (55,000 is the approximate combined populations of Burr Ridge Willowbrook, Darien, and Hinsdale).
Since the release of the report, people have been coming forward with heart-wrenching stories of cancer, miscarriages, and other ailments. Several people have started lawsuits against the company, and if you have or your family has had Leukemia, Stomach Cancer, or Pancreatic Cancer, I would look into legal representation.
Now, like most of us, you’re probably wondering how decades worth of pollution is only now being exposed. The Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry began investing for their report in 2016, because the levels of ETO did not match the data that Sterigenics was self-reporting. It took until 2018 to finalize the report, and only two months ago were citizens of this toxic area informed that their lives may be at risk.
However, I suspect the main reason that nothing has been done so far comes down to our good ol’ Illinois politics. It may come as no surprise that Bruce Rauner, our current Governor and Republican nominee for re-election, owns a private equity firm that invest in this company. He says that he recently divested, but he has said that the Sterigenics issue is not one of urgent public health matters. Of course, it isn’t his kids and family that live in this toxic environment, so it wouldn’t be of urgent concern to him.
Furthermore, since the report, the Illinois EPA and the Attorney General have been in a confusing back and forth, and it is unclear who is responsible for mandating the shutdown. The Illinois EPA was withholding documents from the Attorney General’s office, but with public pressure mounting I am sure this is going to change. Unfortunately, we do not get to vote on EPA representatives, but we will be voting on a new Attorney General. Current Attorney General Lisa Madigan is not up for re-election, so as we look to elect a new Attorney General, we must consider if Republican Attorney General nominee Erika Harold would just fall in line with Bruce Rauner and refuse to shutdown the facility. The following nominees have been the most vocal about their plans to help shutdown Sterigenics, and these people are some of the people who I am personally voting for. You can take it or leave it:
- JB Pritzker—Governor (I have my qualms with him, but in this case he is the lesser evil)
- Kwame Raoul—Attorney General (a cancer survivor, who says the issue is near to his heart)
- Bridget Fitzgerald—Illinois State Senate for District 41 (includes Darien, Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, etc.)
- Tom Chylstek—Illinois State House of Rep. for District 82 (Darien, Willowbrook, Burr Ridge, etc.)
- Irfan Ibrahim—Forest Preserve Commissioner for DuPage County
- Greg Hart—DuPage County Board District 3
I cannot stress the urgency of this issue enough. I am scared for family and friends as well as myself, and we won’t be safe until Sterigenics has shutdown. And there is no denying that who is elected on November 6th will play a huge role in what happens. Even the Erin Brockovich, famous for taking down Pacific Gas and Standard Electric, has made a statement condemning Sterigenics and calling for its shutdown by our government. If you too are scared because you have been affected, or because environmental justice matters to you, here is what you can do to help:
- Join the Stop Sterigenics Facebook page for updates
- Host a Stop Sterigenics sign in your yard
- Call the Attorney General’s office urging for action
- Call the campaign offices of Kwame Raoul and Erika Harold to make it clear that they will not be elected unless they promise to take action in office
- Repost this article! Please, circulate anywhere you can
- Attend the hearing this Friday, October 26th
- Fill out a Witness Slip, letting our Illinois government know that this is an issue to you
- VOTE, VOTE, VOTE…I’m serious, if you don’t vote, please don’t talk to me again
If you’re interested in learning more about this, please visit the Stop Sterigenics website or read Andrea Thome’s blog post.