I am deeply concerned about a new federal agency report alerting our village to a public health hazard in our community. The Village of Willowbrook was notified of hazardous emissions in the air from Sterigenics International, Inc., located at 830 Midway Drive (directly north of the Willowbrook Municipal Complex) and 7775 Quincy Street (directly east of the Willowbrook Municipal Complex). The Willowbrook facilities provide sterilization services to the medical, pharmaceutical and food industries.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) states in a report Sterigenics was found to be producing ethylene oxide (EtO) gas at levels that could pose a public health hazard and was directed to take immediate action to reduce the emissions.
Since the village was notified Tuesday and received the report from the USDHHS on Wednesday, we have been exploring all of our options.
Members of the village administration and I encourage you to read the federal report which we have posted here.
We are working around the clock to gather more information. Today, Representative Jim Durkin and State Senator John Curran met with village administrators and me, and spoke with the Director of the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency requesting assistance. DuPage County officials and the DuPage County Health Department are also working with us to gather more information.
On the federal level we have reached out to Congressman Bill Foster and U. S. Senators Durbin and Duckworth. In addition, we will be hiring independent experts to help assess the situation including an environmental specialist.
As a 30-year resident of Willowbrook and as Mayor, I remain committed to the safety of our village. As we learn more information, we will forward it to you through our website and on my Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Mayor Frank Trilla