After failing to act for two years, USEPA has finally determined that the air permit for the Onyx Hazardous Waste Incinerator, located in the tiny village of Sauget, Illinois, which is adjacent to E. St. Louis and across the river from St. Louis, doesn’t do enough to protect public health. The EPA decision was in response to a lawsuit filed by Sierra Club and American Bottom Conservancy alleging that the facility’s permit did not protect area residents. The groups raised concerns regarding poor monitoring and enforcement, and violations, which included explosions that released toxic clouds of gas over the community.

Onyx Hazardous Waste Incinerator, one of only seventeen such incinerators in the country, has been operating without an enforceable air permit. The incinerator, a large source of mercury, dioxin and particulate matter, is located in the midst of a highly populated area on the Mississippi River just south of the St. Louis arch. Both East St. Louis and St. Louis have high numbers of sensitive populations already suffering from elevated levels of lead and respiratory ailments, such as asthma. The new permit will improve conditions in the area through better reporting, better monitoring and better enforcement.

“We are excited that we will see the results of our efforts in a newly drafted permit in response to our objections,” said Ted Horn, Sierra Club Kaskaskia Group Chair. “The people who live in the area surrounding the incinerator have been most affected. Stricter monitoring and compliance will help them and the entire region. We hope that the company will now put on better controls to protect people’s health.”

“A hazardous waste incinerator should never have been allowed to locate in the midst of so many people,” said Kathy Andria, president of American Bottom Conservancy and conservation chair of the Sierra Club Kaskaskia Group. “We are disappointed that EPA dismissed our objections under Environmental Justice, but we welcome that the permit will now be enforceable by the public. We will have the tools to hold Onyx accountable and we will do just that.”

“For eight years, Onyx has operated without a strong permit, “ adds Verena Owen, Clean Air Chair for the IL Sierra Club, "We are delighted that EPA has stepped in to say that Onyx can no longer operate outside of the law and must promptly comply with clean air protection.”