Sterigenics to Enhance Emissions Controls at Willowbrook Facility

Sterigenics, a leading provider of mission-critical sterilization services, announced that it has applied for permits with the Illinois EPA (IL EPA) to install additional control measures at its Willowbrook facility. The control measures are consistent with upgrades proposed by Sterigenics to the IL EPA over the past several months and prior to the Seal Order which shut down operations at the facility. These upgrades would also allow the facility to comply with the new Illinois legislation for ethylene oxide (EO) emissions and would establish the Willowbrook facility as the highest emissions control environment for EO sterilization facilities in the United States.
 
The application seeks permits to install new equipment which would establish a permanent total enclosure through the use of negative pressure, increase the number of emission control stages and combine existing emissions stacks into one common stack at the facility. Based on preliminary modeling, the installation of new emissions controls will further reduce the 0.1% of remaining emissions at the Willowbrook facility to minimal levels.
 
“By implementing these new controls, our Willowbrook facility will outperform the requirements in the recent Illinois EO law. Additionally, Willowbrook will operate with the highest control level for EO emissions in Illinois and in the country, once again demonstrating our commitment to go beyond regulatory requirements,” said Sterigenics president, Philip Macnabb. “Our focus is on acting in the best interest of the community, our employees, our customers and the patients and hospitals we serve every day. We are taking these additional steps to reassure the public while moving toward a solution which will enable us to resume the critical work of sterilizing vital medical products and devices in Willowbrook for patients in Illinois and beyond.”
 
Sterigenics remains in compliance with legal obligations and is taking all appropriate legal actions to resume operations at Willowbrook.