Lake County Residents Push Ethylene Oxide Ban, And Fall Veto Session Begins

Lake County Residents Push Ethylene Oxide Ban, And Fall Veto Session Begins

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Illinois lawmakers gather in Springfield today to kick off the fall veto session. Legislators are expected to vote on some big ticket items, including House Bill 38-88. That’s legislation that would effectively ban emissions of ethylene oxide, a cancer-causing gas.

Ethylene oxide was the gas being emitted from the Sterigenics plant in DuPage county before it was closed down earlier this year. Meanwhile, it’s still being put into the air by two facilities in Lake County.

Reset talks to two scientists from the group Stop EtO—that’s “Stop Ethylene Oxide”—in Lake County. 

We also check in with Brian Mackey, the state government and politics reporter for WUIS, NPR Illinois, for a rundown on what’s on lawmakers’ agenda this fall.