Bomb Found and Defused at Illinois Ethanol Plant, Prompting Evacuations
An explosive device discovered at an Illinois ethanol and alcohol production plant triggered mandatory evacuations on Friday, affecting sections of Peoria and neighboring East Peoria. Local authorities and federal law enforcement responded to the incident at the BioUrja Renewables facility after authorities found a bomb at the local plant.
The discovery prompted officials to order a one-mile evacuation zone encompassing sections of Peoria and the adjacent municipality of East Peoria. Peoria’s mayor, Rita Ali, initially stressed to the public that the threat was genuine rather than a hoax, stating: “It is real – this is a real thing.”
Officials ultimately defused the device and lifted the evacuation zone at about 1.25pm local time on Saturday after ruling out the presence of any other explosives following a search.
The FBI said it is investigating the incident alongside local authorities. The emergency response also unfolded alongside other national headlines, including a nationwide FAA-ordered ground stop and a Mississippi River boat collision in New Orleans.
