Federal report on ethylene oxide levels in air near two Lake County plants released for public comment

A federal health agency is seeking public input on its draft report on carcinogenic ethylene oxide concentrations in outdoor air near Medline Industries in Waukegan and Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee.

Scientists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry will be available Wednesday at Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep, 3106 Belvidere Road (Route 120) in Waukegan.

From 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., participants can meet with scientists, ask questions and discuss environmental public health concerns. The agency's assessment of ethylene oxide (EtO) in outdoor air near the Medline medical sterilization facility and the Vantage chemical manufacturing plant 3 miles away will be discussed from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

In early November 2018, the Lake County Health Department became aware of concerns about ethylene oxide emissions from both companies and contacted state and federal environmental authorities about the situation and the public's desire to monitor the air.

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Subsequent tests showed that emissions of carcinogen ethylene oxide from Medline and Vantage fell significantly after the controls were installed and were well below permitted levels, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reported. environment in October 2021.

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The 129-page ATSDR report analyzed concentrations measured near Medline from June 2019 to September 2023 and at Vantage from June 2019 to May 2020. Data after May 2020 was not available.

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, founder and chairman of the bipartisan Congressional Ethylene Oxide Task Force, and Illinois Senators Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth issued a joint statement Friday.

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“Today's report shows that strict emissions controls and monitoring of ambient air appear to be effective in ensuring that air is safe to breathe for residents living near facilities using oxide of ethylene,” the lawmakers said.

According to the release, the trio was pleased that recent EtO measurements near Medline were consistent with measurements taken in locations in Lake County and across the country that are not near facilities using d. 'ethylene.

“Nevertheless, it remains imperative that EtO levels continue to be monitored in the future so that area residents can be confident that their communities are safe,” the statement said.

They also urged Vantage to resume monitoring the air outside the Gurnee plant to ensure its control systems are working and asked the U.S. EPA to continue improving methods with lower detection limits to observe EtO levels.

ATSDR will accept comments on the report until August 5 in writing to the Records Center, 4770 Buford Highway NE, MS S106-5, Atlanta, Georgia, 30341 or electronically to [email protected].

The responses will be included in an annex to the final report. For more information, call (800) 232-4636 or visit cdc.gov/info or atsdr.cdc.gov.

Schneider, Durbin and Duckworth led support last summer for an EtO sterilizer rule finalized in March aimed at reducing EtO emissions by more than 90% at facilities across the country, according to the release. They also work to promote innovative methods to sterilize medical devices with lower levels of currently used agents and to use new agents or alternatives.