Archer Daniels Midland was named the 30th-worst company in the nation in 2002 when it came to releasing cancer-causing pollutants into the air, according to a national environmental group.
The company on the Peoria riverfront released 254,014 pounds of pollutants into the atmosphere that year, the group Environmental Defense stated Wednesday.
Environmental Defense posted the 2002 results for Illinois and the U.S. on its Web site, www.scorecard.org, based on toxic release inventory figures from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The totals show Peoria County as generating the most pollution in Illinois, ahead of Cook County and other industrialized counties, mainly because of a hazardous waste landfill, which accounted for most of the total releases.
The air pollutants from ADM consisted of 253,200 pounds of acetaldehyde, which overall carries a "relatively low" risk for a recognized carcinogen, Environmental Defense spokesman John Balbus said.
But the chemical also is a suspected cause of respiratory problems that can include bronchitis and pulmonary edema, and it can affect the kidneys and immune system.
In a statement from Karla Miller, vice president for public relations, ADM responded that in 2003 it entered into an agreement with state and federal officials to reduce air emissions over the next decade.
ADM is installing control equipment in Peoria "which when completed, will result in a 95 percent reduction of volatile organic compounds (VOC), which include the referenced materials."
"ADM takes its responsibility to the environment very seriously. This agreement established standards against which others in our industry will be measured and we are proud of our collaboration with the federal, state and local regulators to realize our shared goal of responsible environmental stewardship," the statement concluded.
The environmental releases in 2002 of pollutants listed in the EPA's Toxics Release Inventory for Peoria County totaled more than 26 million pounds, the most since record-keeping began in 1988. The Toxics Release Inventory collects information about chemical releases and waste management reported by major industrial facilities in the U.S.
The figure places Peoria County in the top 90 percent of dirtiest counties in the U.S., the Web site states.
The total comes mainly from Peoria Disposal Co.'s hazardous waste landfill on Southport Road, which released 20.9 million pounds of chemicals in 2002.
The TRI includes chemicals released into the air, water and land.
Peoria County's cancer risk score from releases into the air and water places it in the top 80 percent in the nation, though air releases of recognized carcinogens place it in the top 90 percent, the group concludes.
Of the air total, 264,000 pounds were recognized carcinogens, and 84,035 pounds were suspected carcinogens.
AmerenCILCO's Bartonville power plant was in second place with 3.1 million pounds released. ADM was third overall in Peoria County with 935,867 pounds of chemicals.
Tazewell County releases in 2002 totaled 819,472 pounds, a substantial drop from 2.8 million in 2001.
The Edison International Powerton Generating Station in Pekin generated more than half of the total, at 444,751 pounds, followed by Aventine Renewable Energy Inc., an ethanol plant in Pekin, at 168,660 pounds.
Eight of 11 Tazewell County plants reporting releases were in Pekin.
Knox County facilities released 234,529 pounds of chemicals, down from the county's record level in 1995 of 832,176 pounds. ADM's plant in Galesburg emitted 85,907 pounds of pollutants, followed by Maytag at 78,122 pounds.
The AmerenCILCO power plant near Canton was the only facility releasing pollutants in Fulton County, with 646,167 pounds.Peoria Journal Star/Elaine Hopkins
