An Illinois judge will decide July 24 whether to permit Sterigenics U.S. LLC to reopen its Willowbrook, Ill., facility, shut down in February over concerns about its use of ethylene oxide.
The company announced a tentative agreement July 17 with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency that would enable the facility, which sterilizes medical products, to reopen.
The Illinois EPA effectively shut down the plant Feb. 15 when it issued an order prohibiting the company from using ethylene oxide, which the federal EPA has concluded elevates cancer risks.
The proposed agreement, which has to be approved by ...