Southeast DuPage County Residents Hurt by Dangerous Gas

Records indicate that the residents of one area of Southeast DuPage County are nine times more likely than someone living in almost any other Illinois county to develop cancer. This sad reality has been found to likely be due to ethylene oxide, a fumigating gas that has been found to be far more dangerous than was previously thought. The gas has been employed for years by Sterigenics to fumigate pharmaceuticals, medical instruments and food to kill bacteria and pests. The company began to be investigated last year after the community popped out on a national map of breathing health hazards. Nearly 19,000 people live within a mile of the Sterigenics Willowbrook facility. There are also four schools and a day care center nearby.