Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Director Alec Messina and DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) Executive Director Karen Ayala today announced their coordinated effort to identify private wells used for drinking water at homes near the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook. This is in response to the concerns of residents and local officials of possible groundwater contamination of ethylene glycol from the facility in 2013 and emissions of ethylene oxide. Currently, U.S. EPA has not provided guidance for groundwater analysis for ethylene glycol or ethylene oxide. Therefore, Illinois EPA has established a groundwater health advisory level specific to this sampling exercise. While the potential for contamination appears to be low, a targeted number of drinking water wells will be tested for these chemicals. Illinois EPA and DCHD are taking this important step to ensure the health of residents with these wells near Sterigenics facilities.
Click the link below for a copy of the complete press release.
News Release - Sterigenics Well Testing