On November 2, 2018, the Lake County Health Department learned of concerns surrounding ethylene oxide emissions from Medline Industries in Waukegan and Vantage Specialty Chemicals in Gurnee. 

The Health Department immediately initiated communication with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to better understand the situation and express the public’s desire for appropriate air monitoring and timely and transparent communication. The Health Department has maintained regular communication with these agencies, which have sole jurisdiction for regulating emissions.

The U.S. EPA published a Lake County-specific web page on November 21, 2018. Residents seeking information about ethylene oxide in Lake County can find the latest updates at https://www.epa.gov/il/addressing-ethylene-oxide-emissions-lake-county-illinois. Questions and concerns can be sent via email to the U.S. EPA at [email protected].

Information on Lake County Health Department activities related to ethylene oxide emissions can be found on our Ethylene Oxide in Lake County page.