Hinsdale, IL - Wednesday, July 5, 2006 ceremonially marks the decommissioning of the incinerator at Adventist Hinsdale Hospital. Over the last weekend in June, the incinerator was rendered inoperable. With its power source disconnected, the incinerator was cleaned and then welded shut.

After several moths of negotiation between the Administrations of the Village of Hinsdale and Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, Village President Michael Woerner announced at the December 5, 2005 meeting of the Village Board that Hinsdale and the Hospital had agreed to decommission the incinerator by June 30, 2006. President Woerner proudly states that "the agreement is a great example of stakeholders working together cooperatively to reach a solution that benefits the whole community."

Public discussion regarding the incinerator began at the meeting of the Environment and Public Services (EPS) Committee in October 2005. At the conclusion of the negotiations between the Village and Hospital, Village Trustee Cindy Williams, Chair of the EPS Committee, thanked residents and community groups for their instrumental work in achieving a closing date four years earlier than originally scheduled. And Village President Woerner emphasizes how "very integral the Hospital is to the Village" and cites Trustee Williams' leadership throughout the process as key to ensuring the resulting agreement.

With the State of Illinois outlawing the filling of landfills with hazardous medical waste in the late 1970s, many hospitals turned to incineration. However, with ongoing research identifying potential problems associated with the process, the number of incinerators has been reduced dramatically in the State and throughout the nation.

Adventist Hinsdale Hospital is DuPage County's first and one of its largest medical facilities, and it maintains the only physician teaching program. Its approximately 2,400 employees make it the largest employer in Hinsdale. The Hospital is part of the not-for-profit Adventist Health System, which operates 38 hospitals in 10 states and whose stated mission is "whole person health." For more information about Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, please visit www.keepingyouwell.com/facilities/hinsdale/.

Questions about the decommissioning of the incinerator may be directed to Dave Cook, Village Manager, Village of Hinsdale, at (630) 789-7013 or via e-mail at dcook@villageofhinsdale.org.

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