Media Statement

June 17, 2020

WAUKEGAN – In response to the Lake County Health Department’s release of Phase III air monitoring results taken from April 4 to May 2, 2020, Medline spokesperson Jesse Greenberg has released the following statement:

“The Lake County Health Department released the most recent ethylene oxide (EtO) ambient air readings on June 17. In the 50 samples collected from April 4 – May 2, Waukegan averaged only .29 µg/m³. These results are also approximately 15% lower than readings at Lake County’s remote test sites, which are intended to be a representation of EtO background levels in the area.

Medline’s top priority has been and will continue to be the safety of our employees and our community. Ambient data is an important tool and these readings are well below the USEPA’s national background levels of ethylene oxide. But even more importantly, we constantly monitor the effectiveness of our emissions control system to ensure that Medline’s Waukegan facility continues to meet the state’s recently passed legislation, which has been called the toughest in the nation.”

Waukegan’s latest reading of .29 µg/m³ follows MedIine’s recent installation of a $10 million emissions control system in March 2020 to comply with the Matt Haller Act in Illinois. Medline is capturing 99.99% of all EtO that it uses to sterilize life-saving surgical instruments and its facility is designed to prevent fugitive emissions.

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