Two residents from neighboring communities told the Village of Romeoville board on Nov. 5 that independent and fence-line monitors recorded benzene spikes near the Citgo/Sitco refinery and that families in Lamont, Romeoville and Lockport have experienced elevated cancer rates.

"I never thought I would be standing here asking for something as basic as the right to know whether the air my children are breathing is safe," Symanti, a resident from Lamont, said during public comment. She said independent monitors recorded spikes and that she found EPA fence-line monitoring data reporting benzene readings as high as 52.6 parts per billion in May 2025 and a separate public-records response showing a 70 ppb release on another date.

Amy Kelly, another Lamont resident, told the board the group is seeking real-time community alerts, independent fence-line monitoring and outside oversight, not shutdowns: "We're really just trying to be aware of what is going on there."

Village Manager Dawn said she contacted Citgo and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency after the residents raised concerns and that "according to their monitoring, there has been no violations related to benzene at this source." She emphasized that monitoring and enforcement are handled by the Illinois EPA and U.S. EPA, offered residents contact information, and encouraged citizens to speak with state representatives about regulatory concerns.

The village did not take any enforcement action. The residents said their next steps include meetings with their environmental commission and the Illinois EPA and seeking outside fence-line monitoring providers. The village manager said the state and federal agencies will notify surrounding communities if those agencies receive an alert through their systems and that the village would re-broadcast any official notices it received.

Authorities referenced during the discussion included the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The speakers did not cite a local ordinance or new village action; the matter remained a request from residents and a regulatory referral to state and federal agencies.