Residents evacuated after bomb found at Illinois ethanol plant; FBI joins probe
Authorities in Peoria, Illinois, evacuated residents after discovering a bomb at the BioUrja Renewables ethanol plant. The FBI has joined local law enforcement to investigate the credible threat, though no injuries or arrests have been reported.
Why it matters
The presence of a bomb at a facility handling highly combustible chemicals poses a significant public safety risk and potential for industrial disaster.
Residents living near an ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, were ordered to evacuate after authorities discovered a bomb at the industrial facility, with police describing the threat as credible and warning of the potential blast radius.The device was found on Friday afternoon at the BioUrja Renewables plant. Bomb technicians rendered it safe later that evening, at around 9.12 pm local time, but the evacuation order remained in force on Saturday as law enforcement teams searched the site for other possible devices and evidence.Police established a one-mile evacuation zone around the facility, urging residents and businesses within the area to leave and asking the public to stay away. Shelters were set up for people displaced by the threat, while several roads near the plant were closed.“This is a credible threat,” Peoria police chief Brad Dixon told reporters shortly after midnight on Saturday.
Also covering this story
One other newsroom covered this event. We read that version too.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in