Sterigenics, a surgical device sterilization company based in the western suburbs of Chicago, has been accused of emitting an unsafe amount of a toxic chemical into the atmosphere at its Willowbrook facility and is currently in a legal battle with the Illinois attorney general. Now, some are calling for Governor Pritzker to take action and shut the facility down. 

Professor Arden Rowell, an expert in environmental law and administrative law, spoke to the Cook County Record about the case. 

"The government has to have some legal basis for shutting down a business," she said.

"Much of the governor’s power is political, but the governor also has certain kinds of legal authority that are unavailable to other legal actors," Rowell said. 

She noted that the governor could declare a disaster if the situation met certain criteria, such as injury or loss of life. However, she also noted that the governor must be able to demonstrate that the facility is currently posing such a threat, as he may not shut it down for alleged past transgressions.

Read the full article at cookcountyrecord.com.