CHICAGO (AP) — Federal testing shows that a suburban Chicago plant that sterilizes medical instruments is still producing high levels of cancer-causing gas despite installing new pollution-control equipment.
A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency official says the agency doesn't have enough evidence to take action.
William Wehrum is the EPA's Assistant Administrator for the Office of Air and Radiation. He tells The Chicago Tribune that air samples collected late last year show a connection between the Sterigenics International plant in Willowbrook and high levels of ethylene oxide.
Wehrum says tests also show unknown sources of the gas, so the agency needs more time to determine the extent of Sterigenics' contribution.
Federal officials began investigating the plant in 2017 after a federal report found unusually high cancer risks due to toxic chemicals, including ethylene oxide.
