Letter to Andrew Wheeler, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency - Casten, Durbin, Duckworth, Schneider, Underwood Request Urgent Action from Governor, EPA in Response to Lake County Ethylene Oxide Results

Letter

Dear Administrator Wheeler:

We write to you regarding the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) role in protecting our constituents from ethylene oxide (EtO). We have been deeply frustrated by the EPA's total lack of leadership and community engagement on EtO issues in Lake County, Illinois.

Responding to EtO emissions in Willowbrook, Illinois, EPA engaged with the local community. EPA conducted and analyzed ambient air monitoring, and held public forums with the community, steps which provided residents with vital public health information that kept them more informed on an issue deeply important to the area. These actions were also aligned with EPA's mission to safeguard the air we breathe.

In Lake County, however, EPA's role in addressing this exact same issue has been a different story entirely. Since day one, EPA had an obligation to provide the same comprehensive, engaged response to Lake County. Yet, in spite of our repeated requests -- in person and in writing -- for EPA to do its duty and treat EtO emissions in Lake County with the same urgency and due diligence as Willowbrook, EPA has refused. Despite cries from the community and recognizing no discernable difference between Willowbrook and the circumstances in Lake County, EPA has so far declined to uphold its mission to protect families in Waukegan and Gurnee from EtO.

For months, EPA insisted that its role in providing these communities with dispersion modeling was sufficient, yet never provided an explanation for why it would not fund, coordinate, or analyze ambient air monitoring as it had done in Willowbrook. We commend the service of local leaders in filling the void of EPA leadership when EPA's complete dereliction of duty forced the community to rise to the challenge. Nevertheless, this work should have been EPA's job from the very beginning.

With the release of Lake County's profoundly alarming preliminary monitoring data, we now have confirmed what we've believed from the start: Lake County's EtO emissions should be taken every bit as seriously as Willowbrook's. The total lack of engagement by EPA is disgraceful and leaves our constituents in the dark. We demand EPA work with Lake County to analyze the emissions data and hold community forums to ensure the public is educated on what these results mean.

Administrator Wheeler, it is your duty to fully assist Lake County with this extremely concerning issue. We respectfully urge you to do your job and provide Lake County with the Federal assistance it deserves.

Sincerely,

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