Environmental groups in Illinois are pushing state and federal officials to tighten regulations on businesses that use toxic substances after a fire and explosion last month in north-central Illinois.

A Jan. 11 fire and explosion at a chemical company in La Salle spewed a cloud of toxic particles across the area. The city of 10,000 was covered with pink dust that contained sulfuric acid, lead and mercury.

Hannah Lee Flath, communications coordinator for the Sierra Club Illinois chapter, said it was clear the federal Environmental Protection Agency and its Illinois counterpart did not properly enforce existing regulations - and that local officials didn't have an adequate disaster plan.

"Wind and weather can carry ash and smoke widely, and so folks closest to the plant are certainly more impacted immediately," she said. "But we saw that pink material was landing on the Illinois River, and so it's very clear that it did travel."

Flath said she sees eerie similarities between the La Salle disaster and a recent incident in East Palestine, Ohio, where 20 derailed tanker cars burned and spread vinyl chloride and other toxins across the area.

The EPA and Carus Chemical Co. did not respond by deadline to a request for comment.

Flath said what happened in Illinois and Ohio are not isolated events, and both communities face long-term dangers from the toxic substances. Studies show that a chemical disaster occurs, on average, every three days in the United States, and often in less-than-affluent neighborhoods.

"These types of facilities are more frequently located in Black and Brown communities, lower-income communities that are already overburdened," she said. "Oftentimes, these types of plants are in locations that are already struggling because of other environmental issues and pollution."

Flath added that the Sierra Club and other environmental groups are working with the EPA and other agencies to develop proactive plans to protect communities, before and during chemical leaks.

"We're partnering with environmental-justice organizations and other groups who work on toxics issues," she said, "to urge the EPA and the Biden administration to make sure preventive measures are taken, to try to ensure these disasters don't happen in the first place."

It's the time of year when people start thinking about spring cleaning and lawn care - which also means more exposure to health risks from products they may not think of as poisons.

Nearly every Indiana household is full of items that can be lethal - from bug spray to hairspray, and furniture polish to lawn fertilizer.

Stored improperly, some products can cause injury or even death if anyone ingests, smells, or spills them on skin or clothing.

Dr. Blake Froberg - medical director at the Indiana Poison Center - said liquids like antifreeze and window-washer fluid may look like sports drinks to young kids, and can have some very harmful effects.

"Certain lamp oils," said Froberg, "with the summer coming up, a lot of people will have tiki torches. And that lamp oil that's used in tiki torches - to a young child, that can look like apple juice - can have very harmful effects to somebody's lungs if they get into that."

Symptoms of poisoning include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and rashes.

The Indiana Department of Health suggests storing household chemicals with proper labeling and tight lids, and periodically checking those containers. Froberg added that they should be in locked cabinets inaccessible to kids.

America's Poison Centers data show in Indiana, a poisoning case is reported about every 11 minutes.

Medications can also be dangerous, with nearly 68,000 cases of kids ingesting basic analgesics or painkillers in one recent year, nationally.

Froberg said it isn't just prescription drugs to be concerned about.

"Acetaminophen, which is often sold as Tylenol," said Froberg, "aspirin, diphenhydramine, often sold as Benadryl. So, you want to pay attention to not only your prescription medications, but also the over-the-counter medications."

Froberg pointed out that child-resistant caps on medications may slow them down, but given enough time, a child can figure out how to remove them.

America's Poison Centers data show 44% of Indiana children age 5 or younger have been involved in a poison-related incident - and 95% of those occur at home.




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National Poison Prevention Week is coming up, and the staff at the Illinois Poison Center is getting the word out to be aware of toxic substances around the house.

The nonprofit organization provides both assistance and education on what to do if you suspect poisoning, and courses on identifying poisonous substances.

Last year, the center handled nearly 70,000 involving potentially harmful substances, ranging from minor to severe.

Dr. Michael Wahl, medical director for the center, said almost 40% of those cases involved children age five or younger.

"This is kind of the hallmark week for us to get the word out of the importance of poison prevention planning in the house, in the home, to prevent those unintentional ingestions or exposures to potentially harmful products," Wahl explained.

Wahl pointed out the Illinois center was one of the first of its kind in the nation and has been a resource for almost 70 years. It is staffed 24 hours, seven days a week, every day of the year, and can be reached at 800-222-1222.

Wahl noted the center deals with many substances, including drug overdoses, medication errors or reactions, plants, household chemicals, automotive products, insect stings and bites, lead, carbon monoxide and more.

He added the most dangerous time for children can be a visit from a grandparent.

"We recommend keeping the medications in their original containers and childproof caps," Wahl emphasized. "But grandparents will often keep their medications in pill minders. Those are not in child-resistant caps, and it is not uncommon that kids will get into them."

The center provides helpful information and guides, including stickers and refrigerator magnets with its toll-free number, at no charge. But Wahl stressed for those who need immediate help, there are experts standing by.

"Our line is staffed by nurses and pharmacists, so it is medical professionals -- they're not volunteers -- and they are specially trained in medical toxicology, to really answer and help with recommendations on a wide variety of potentially harmful exposures," Wahl emphasized.


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Most Texans take breathing for granted - unless the air is polluted. It's a health issue the Biden administration hopes to mitigate through new restrictions on one of the deadliest air pollutants - soot.

The Environmental Protection Agency wants to tighten national air-quality standards for soot - also known as fine particulate pollution - which haven't been updated since 2012.

Texas is among the top five states for soot pollution, but Elena Craft, senior director, Climate and Health at the Environmental Defense Fund, said a national solution is needed.

"It really impacts every community across the country," she said. "It is harmful because of its contribution to heart ailments, lung disease, asthma attacks - even cancer."

The EPA's rule would reduce the limit on industrial fine soot particles from an annual average of 12 micrograms per cubic meter of air to between nine and 10 micrograms. Public feedback on the proposed new rules is being accepted through March 28.

Soot pollution comes from power plants, vehicles and refineries, and Craft said it's more concentrated in certain parts of Texas than others.

"Houston, Dallas, El Paso - you do see higher ambient concentrations of particulate matter in some of the larger metropolitan areas, for sure," she said, "and also in some of the industrial areas - so, along the ship channel and the Gulf Coast."

Craft said there are also disparities as to who is most affected by soot pollution - with communities of color more likely to live near industrial facilities, railyards and other polluting facilities. She said it's also an issue for children.

"They breathe more air per pound of body weight than an adult," she said, "and so they are at higher risk, as well as the elderly."

According to Craft, the new standards proposed by the EPA are a welcome improvement, but the Environmental Defense Fund would like to see even stricter rules. The standards are expected to be finalized this summer.