Hinsdale board unanimously backs resolution opposing proposed EtO rollback

The Hinsdale Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution April 14 opposing federal efforts to roll back the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 2024 risk‑based standards for ethylene oxide, or EtO, citing the community’s experience with Sterigenics‑area emissions and the chemical’s carcinogenic risks.

The board’s Village President described the resolution as a step to “protect the health and safety of residents,” noting regional work with nearby municipalities. Trustee Neil Burns, whom the president identified as having a chemical engineering background, reviewed technical concerns in the resolution and urged continued safeguards and monitoring.

Mayor Frank Trilla, a guest at the meeting who helped lead earlier local actions on EtO, told trustees the effort was “life and death,” recounting past coordination across communities to press regulators for stronger controls. “The seriousness of this…I testified on US EPA the other day,” Trilla said, urging vigilance as federal policy evolves.

Trustees moved and seconded the resolution and recorded a roll‑call vote; all trustees present voted “Aye” and the board declared the resolution approved.

Why it matters: Hinsdale and neighboring communities experienced prolonged controversy over EtO emissions after the Sterigenics Willowbrook episode. The board’s resolution seeks to preserve the 2024 EPA protections locally and signals intergovernmental coordination to oppose regulatory changes that trustees said would weaken continuous monitoring and emissions limits.

What’s next: The resolution affirms Hinsdale’s intention to coordinate with nearby municipalities and to oppose federal steps that, in the board’s view, would reduce protections; the resolution does not itself change local law but formalizes the village’s policy stance.