WHEATON – State Representative Amy Grant (R-Wheaton) is a Chief Co-Sponsor of legislation that will give local municipalities the authority to ban the use of ethylene oxide in their communities. Sponsored by all four DuPage County House Republicans, HB 3885 responds to a stunning decision by a DuPage County Judge, who ruled last week that the Sterigenics plant in Willowbrook could reopen if certain air quality standards are met.
“The levels of ethylene oxide that came out of this plant were poisonous and have been linked to a cancer cluster and some suspected cancer deaths,” said Grant. “If the Illinois EPA and our judicial system are not going to prioritize the health and safety of those who live in the area, lawmakers will take matters into our own hands. Every Illinoisan deserves to know the air they breathe is clean and safe, and these DuPage County residents should not be allowed to serve as ‘lab rats’ while new air quality standards are tested.”
Through HB 3885, municipalities could vote to ban the use of ethylene oxide, a known cancer-causing carcinogen. If approved, medical equipment sterilization companies like Sterigenics would have to find an alternate, safer chemical for sterilization.
“Sterigenics prioritized profits over safety, and we’re saying ‘enough is enough,’” added Grant. “Under no circumstance should Sterigenics be allowed to reopen, and based on the court’s recent consent decree, it is clear that local citizens and leaders need a tool at their disposal to protect themselves.”