Authorities Monitoring For Levels Of Cancer-Causing Gas Near Facilities in Waukegan and Gurnee
CHICAGO (CBS)-- Authorities in Waukegan and Gurnee are monitoring for levels of a cancer-causing gas near two facilities. Residents hope this testing can help protect the health of the community.
The potential Ethylene Oxide (ETO) gas-emitting facilities are located in the Village of Gurnee and the City of Waukegan. Therefore, both municipalities partnered up with the Lake County Health Department to conduct air quality monitoring near Vantage Specialty Chemicals and Medline Industries.
Ten air quality canisters have been placed in different locations, based on recommendations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Samples will be collected every third day for one month.
A spokesperson for Vantage expressed via a press release that "Vantage recently installed additional emissions control equipment that is being tested with oversight from the Illinois EPA. This will further reduce the Vantage's already low emissions."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Medline referred CBS 2 to a statement released on June 6, which states in part that: "currently, we have two emissions control systems in place that operate at over 99% efficiency."
Once the monitoring is complete, The Lake County Health Department will send data to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Diseases Registry to conduct a health assessment and determine the risks.
