Sterigenics
Recent News About Sterigenics
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Sterigenics: Personal injury lawsuits should be doomed by EPA, other government regulation of EtO emissions
Sterigenics has asked a Cook County judge to dismiss a host of personal injury lawsuits against it, asserting the law does not allow it to be sued for its emissions of ethylene oxide, because the emissions were regulated by the government
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IL ethylene oxide ban advances, over warnings of 'ripple effect' fueling medical device shortages, 'true health care crisis'
Brushing aside warnings of shortages of properly sterilized health care tools, Illinois lawmakers are moving forward with new legislation to all but force the state’s medical device sterilization plants to close, over concerns emissions from the plants may be linked to an increased risk of cancer in those living nearby.
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Citing unpredictable legislative and regulatory landscape in Illinois, Sterigenics says it will exit Willowbrook operations
Sterigenics has announced plans to exit its ethylene oxide (EO) sterilization operations in Willowbrook, in spite of approval it received from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency on Sept. 20 to install emissions-capture technology at the shuttered plant.
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Illinois EPA OKs Sterigenics construction permit; 'First step in lengthy process' toward reopening, IEPA says
The Illinois EPA has granted a construction permit to allow Sterigenics to install emissions capture technology at its Willowbrook plant.
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DuPage judge OKs Sterigenics consent order; Company can begin regulatory process to reopen Willowbrook plant
A DuPage County judge has signed off on an agreement that would end a court fight over actions taken by the state of Illinois to shut down Sterigenics' Willowbrook medical device sterilization plant over claims the plant emitted an allegedly cancer-causing chemical into the air.
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'Nuisance' lawsuits filed vs Medline, Vantage over EtO; Complaints mirror suits vs Sterigenics
Two more companies - Medline and Vantage - have joined the list of those being sued in Cook County court for emitting ethylene oxide, a chemical compound used extensively in industry, but which a growing host of lawsuits blame for causing cancer among those living near the alleged emissions sites.
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Pritzker, Raoul deal with Sterigenics 'only decision' to make within the law, despite 'vigilante' efforts of local lawmakers
Three Illinois Republican lawmakers have "aided and abetted the 21st Century version of vigilante justice in place of the rule of law" by backing the claims and actions of activists seeking to shut down Sterigenics, when the company did not violate applicable emissions rules, says air quality consultant and chemist Rich Trzupek.
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Can Sterigenics easily swap sterilants? Lawyers say yes; FDA, medical device makers less certain
Lawyers leading a growing number of lawsuits vs Sterigenics say the medical device sterilizer can easily substitute another sterilization method for ethylene oxide. The FDA and medical device makers seem less certain.
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Lawsuits vs Sterigenics surge in Cook County court following federal judge ruling
Days after a federal judge ruled Cook County courts could hear the lawsuits brought against medical device sterilization company Sterigenics, the number of lawsuits accusing the company of causing cancer has tripled in one day.
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Judge: Sterigenics can still be sued in Cook County court, even if complied with federal clean air rules
Medical device sterilization company Sterigenics will need to defend itself in Cook County court against a host of lawsuits brought by trial lawyers on behalf of people living in communities surrounding Sterigenics’ Willowbrook facility, as the judge said the company's compliance with federal clean air rules don't protect it from the lawsuits accusing the company of releasing emissions the lawsuits say caused the plaintiffs' cancer.
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Can a company accused of 'killing' people sue for defamation? Bar is high, even then, attorneys say
Companies can face a high bar when considering whether to use defamation lawsuits to defend themselves against claims of wrongdoing, even if they may be able to prove they are falsely accused of "poisoning" communities or "killing" people.
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Industry groups: Statewide ban on ethylene oxide a 'sledgehammer,' would hurt IL economy, health care
Industry groups say they would oppose statewide ban on use of ethylene oxide, as proposed in new legislation from a suburban state senator, describing a ban as a "sledgehammer approach" that would harm the state economy and the U.S. health care system.
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Willowbrook, other communities can weigh in on deal to possibily let Sterigenics reopen; permit talks continue
A DuPage County judge has decided to allow a group of suburban communities the opportunity to weigh in on an agreement between Illinois state officials and Sterigenics, keeping in place at least until September a state order that has shuttered its Willowbrook plant for five months. However, the company and the state’s environmental agency also continue to discuss the permits Sterigenics would need to reopen the plant.
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State lawmakers: IL ethylene oxide law doesn't allow A/G to negotiate Sterigenics settlement
Acknowledging a new state law was written specifically to target one suburban medical device sterilization plant, a group of state lawmakers have asked a DuPage County judge to reject a deal negotiated between Illinois state officials and Sterigenics to allow the company’s Willowbrook plant potentially to reopen.
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Sterigenics, state reach deal to end lawsuits over Willowbrook facility shutdown, emissions, allow plant to reopen
Medical device sterilizer Sterigenics has secured a path to reopening its plant in suburban Willowbrook, which has remained shuttered since February when state regulators under Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker ordered it closed over pollution concerns, even though the plant never violated the terms of its state operating permit.
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New IL ethylene oxide law could keep Sterigenics closed, keep new sterilization plans out of state
A new Illinois state law, which contains ethylene oxide regulations without peer anywhere else in the country, could make it all but impossible for a now-shuttered sterilization facility to reopen or for medical device sterilizers to open new plants in the state. And, despite the strict new law, Illinois’ chief legal officer has pledged to continue the state’s legal action to punish Sterigenics, which operated a sterilization plant in Willowbrook.
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Sterigenics: IL slow-walking document requests, depositions, 'afraid truth will come out' over shutdown order
Saying state officials are afraid “the truth will come out” about Gov. JB Pritzker’s order to close Sterigenics’ Willowbrook facility, Sterigenics has asked a DuPage County judge to force state officials to speed up their response to Sterigenics’ lawsuit and allow Sterigenics’ lawyers to question top Illinois environmental regulators under oath.
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Hinsdale, Burr Ridge, Willowbrook, Darien ask court to let them sue Sterigenics, along with Illinois
With the state of Illinois’ legal gambit to shut down a Willowbrook medical device sterilization facility now back in DuPage County court, two more suburbs - Burr Ridge and Hinsdale - have added their names to the list of municipal governments seeking to join the court action as plaintiffs.
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Sterigenics court fight worries health care sector over short-, long-term impacts of effort to restrict EO use
As the court fight continues over the fate of Sterigenics’ medical device sterilization plant in Willowbrook, the company and others are working to draw attention to the health care side effects of this and possible further moves by Illinois state officials and lawmakers to further restrict access to the sterilizing agent ethylene oxide.
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Judge: Dispute over whether Pritzker broke law in shutting down Sterigenics belongs in state, not federal, court
Medical device sterilizer Sterigenics will not find any relief from federal courts, after a federal judge ruled its dispute over Gov. JB Pritzker’s order closing Sterigenics’ Willowbrook facility belongs in state court.