Cole Lauterbach
Illinois lawmakers heard from experts and people affected by the chemicals being released by a suburban Chicago facility at a Friday hearing. Willowbrook-based Sterigenics has been using a cleaning agent called ethylene oxide, known as ETO, to clean medical supplies. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has said exposure to the chemical over time can cause cancer.
Jen Walling with the Illinois Environmental Council said that there are other facilities in Illinois, including many hospitals, that use the chemical, but not to the extent of Sterigenics.