"People living near Medline Industries in north suburban Waukegan had higher levels of the cancer-causing chemical ethylene oxide in their bloodstream than others who live farther away, according to test results from a federally funded study.
Susan Buchanan, a University of Illinois at Chicago researcher who oversaw the testing, said the results provide more evidence that chemical plants and sterilization facilities emitting ethylene oxide are endangering nearby communities.
Buchanan released a summary of her study on Tuesday, a month after an Illinois Senate committee rejected legislation that would have forced Medline to move away from densely populated neighborhoods. The bill also would have ordered Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee to dramatically reduce its emissions."
Michael Hawthorne reports for the Chicago Tribune December 11, 2019.
