Addressing Ethylene Oxide Emissions in Lake County, Illinois
On this page:
- Coordination among agencies
- Sources of Ethylene Oxide in Lake County, IL
- Documents and Public Outreach Materials
U.S. EPA has worked with Illinois EPA and Lake County Health Department to significantly reduce emissions of ethylene oxide (EtO) in Lake County, Ill.
Medline Industries (Waukegan) operates a commercial sterilization facility at 1160 Northpoint Road in Waukegan, Ill. It uses EtO to sterilize medical equipment. Medline received a construction permit (see fact sheet) from Illinois EPA in 2019, which required the installation of additional controls, a permanent total enclosure, and a continuous emissions monitoring system. The permit limits total facility EtO emissions to 150 pounds annually.
Vantage Specialties Chemicals (Gurnee) operates a chemical production facility at 3938 Porett Drive in Gurnee, Ill. It uses EtO in the production of ingredients for personal care, food and consumer products, as well as industrial uses. Vantage received a construction permit (see fact sheet) from Illinois EPA in 2019, which required the installation of additional controls, an enhanced leak detection and repair program, and a continuous emissions monitoring system. The permit limits total facility EtO emissions to 110 pounds annually, of which no more than 60 pounds can be from fugitive sources.
Coordination among agencies
In 2019, EPA and the Illinois EPA (IEPA) coordinated their efforts to respond to significant EtO emissions sources in Lake County. This is the typical approach across the country, where state agencies like IEPA effectively manage environmental issues in their states. In Lake County, IEPA assessed and reduced risk from individual EtO emissions sources on a timeline faster than national regulations.
EPA provided technical assistance to the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) on the monitoring conducted.
LCHD issued a press release on June 10, 2019: Ethylene Oxide Air Monitoring Begins in Lake County
The agencies used a variety of tools, such as air dispersion modeling, to better characterize potential risks near the Lake County facilities. EPA worked closely with IEPA to keep the community informed. Air Quality Dispersion Modeling
LCHD requested Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) to do a health consultation for Lake County. Petition for ATSDR Health Assessment (PDF)(1 pg, 97 K, About PDF) - March 26, 2019
Sources of Ethylene Oxide Emissions in Lake County, IL
What are the largest sources of ethylene oxide emissions in Lake County, IL?
EPA believes that the largest sources of ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions in Lake County are Medline, a commercial sterilizer located in Waukegan, and Vantage, a chemical production facility in Gurnee.
What are the estimated emissions at Medline?
Total emissions for the 12-month period ending in March 2021 indicate that Medline’s emissions were 68 pounds. In 2017, Medline had reported ethylene oxide emissions of 2,863 pounds from their controlled emission stacks. In 2019, the company received a permit from Illinois EPA (the state agency) for a permit to construct improved controls at the facility. The permit limits total facility emissions of ethylene oxide to 150 pounds per year, a limit that Medline had to meet by December 2019.
You can check for current information, including permits and quarterly emissions reports, at Illinois EPA information on Ethylene Oxide.
Can Medline reduce these emissions?
Yes. Medline has developed a plan to enhance its control of emissions from both controlled emissions stacks and from fugitive emissions sources. The company has received a permit from Illinois EPA (the state agency) for a permit to construct improved controls at the facility. The permit limits total facility emissions of ethylene oxide to 150 pounds per year. The deadline for meeting the requirements of the state permit is December 18, 2019. The construction permit is available on Illinois EPA’s website (PDF)(23 pp, 951K, About PDF)
What are the estimated emissions at Vantage?
In the first quarter of 2021, Vantage reported 7 pounds of EtO emissions. Quarterly emissions reports indicate that emissions for 2020 were 62 pounds. In 2017, Vantage estimated that they emitted 1,547 pounds of emissions of ethylene oxide, including 737 pounds from controlled emissions stacks and 811 pounds from “fugitive” sources, such as leaking valves and other equipment. Illinois EPA’s permit for Vantage, which took effect in 2020, limits total emissions of EtO to 110 pounds per year.
You can check for current information, including permits and quarterly emissions reports, at Illinois EPA information on Ethylene Oxide.
Can Vantage reduce these emissions?
Yes. Vantage has installed an additional pollution control device at its facility and has committed to performing ambient air monitoring around its facility. Illinois EPA has proposed a permit for this facility that limits total emissions of ethylene oxide from the facility to 110 pounds per year, starting in 2020.
You can also check at for updated information at Illinois EPA information on Ethylene Oxide
Does the U.S. EPA oversee the Illinois EPA? How does this oversight apply to operating permits issued by the state that fail to meet conditions of operating permits?
While Illinois EPA is the permitting authority, the U.S. EPA retains oversight of all state agencies that issue what are known as “Title V operating permits.” This oversight includes approving the state rules governing operating permits, periodically evaluating state programs to make sure they are working, and reviewing individual permits issued by states.
For individual permits, the Clean Air Act provides the U.S. EPA a 45-day period to review each operating permit before a state issues, renews or modifies a final permit (permits must be renewed every five years). During this review period, the U.S. EPA can object to an operating permit if it does not comply with the requirements of the Clean Air Act. If the U.S. EPA does not object to a permit during the 45-day period, citizens have 60 days to petition the U.S. EPA and request that the Agency object to the operating permit.
• More information about Title V Petitions
• The U.S. EPA last evaluated Illinois’ Title V permitting program in 2017; view the final report: Illinois Title V and NSR Program Evaluation
Is EPA Planning to monitor ethylene oxide concentrations in the air near Medline and Vantage?
EPA does not currently plan to monitor ethylene oxide concentrations in Lake County, although EPA is providing technical support to the Lake County Health Department, which conducted ambient air monitoring, which concluded in May 2020. Vantage and Medline have also conducted additional emissions monitoring.
Is EPA Planning to model ethylene oxide concentrations in the air near facilities in Lake County?
Illinois EPA required both facilities to model their post-control ethylene oxide emissions at the maximum permitted level to verify that permitted controls would be protective of public health. Modeling indicates that neither Medline nor Vantage would contribute more than 100-in-a-million to cancer risk of any resident or any worker if their emissions were at permitted levels. We would also expect risks to decline rapidly with distance from Medline and Vantage.
What are the levels of EtO in the air in Lake County?
Lake County Health Department posted EtO air concentrations from its summer 2019 air monitoring results: Lake County EtO Monitoring Results. Air sampling location maps and wind roses showing wind speed, duration and direction are also included.
To assess the risk in Lake County, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is conducting a health risk assessment based on air monitoring samples collected by the Lake County Health Department. This assessment will help provide a better understanding of the geographic extent of any potential residential risk.