Resist efforts to ease emissions standards

As a local elected official representing southeast DuPage County, I strongly oppose any federal effort to roll back regulations governing ethylene oxide (EtO) emissions.

Our communities know firsthand the dangers of EtO. It is a proven carcinogen that poses serious risks to public health. Families across District 3 and the southeastern part of DuPage County were directly impacted by emissions from the Sterigenics facility in Willowbrook. The harm was real, and the consequences are lasting.

In response, residents, local governments and state leaders came together to demand change. The result was some of the strongest protections in the country, requiring facilities to capture nearly all emissions and drastically limit what is released into our air. These safeguards were put in place because lives were at risk.

The village of Hinsdale, under the leadership of President Greg Hart, has formally passed a resolution opposing any rollback of these protections and calling on federal agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, to maintain strict standards that protect our residents. I am sponsoring similar action at the DuPage County level.

Any attempt to weaken these rules is unacceptable. It ignores the lived experience of our residents and risks putting public health behind industry convenience.

I will continue to fight to ensure the health and safety of our communities remains the highest priority.

Kari Galassi

Hinsdale