By Maria Hickey, KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – The EPA has agreed with some objections raised by environmentalists over permits for the Onyx toxic waste incinerator in Sauget, Illinois.
The Sierra Club and the American Bottom Conservancy filed a lawsuit seeking stricter enforcement of air quality standards at the facility.
The EPA released its order last week that agreed, in part, the groups.
Verena Owen with the Sierra Club Illinois says it's good news for Metro East residents.
"When we petitioned the EPA, almost exactly a year ago, we felt that the permit as issued didn't address the poor operating history of the facility, the violations, and we also felt the permit lacked strong monitoring," Owen said. "So we think this is a victory for the people of East St. Louis."
But Owen says the groups were disappointed the EPA did not agree that Onyx had violated environment justice requirements.
"Environmental justice is meant to avoid disproportionate impacts to lower income and minority communities and unfortunately EPA basically denied it on a technicality," she said.
Owen says she's unsure what would change in the permitting process had the EPA agreed with the environmental justice petition
She says the agency has never cited such violations under the Clean Air operating permit.
Onyx officials did not return a phone call seeking comment.