Illinois ethanol plant evacuation ends after bomb is found

Residents in parts of Peoria and neighboring East Peoria, Illinois, were allowed to return home Saturday after authorities found a bomb at an ethanol plant, rendered it safe and searched the facility for other explosives.

The bomb was found Friday afternoon at BioUrja Renewables in Peoria, NPR reported. Officials ordered people living or working within a one-mile radius to evacuate, saying the plant and surrounding area needed to be checked. The evacuation remained in effect Saturday morning, but Peoria police lifted it at about 1:25 p.m. local time after the search found no other items of concern, according to The Guardian.

“This is a credible threat,” Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon told reporters shortly after midnight Saturday. “We need to take the blast radius seriously.”

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali also stressed that authorities had found an actual bomb. “It is real – this is a real thing,” she said, according to local outlet WMBD, as cited by The Guardian. “We know that is a real threat. We know it is a bomb.”

Ali told WMBD that BioUrja was “a plant that has ethanol and highly combustible types of chemicals, and so that’s what alarms us,” NPR reported. The facility sits along the Illinois River, and BioUrja acquired it in 2021, according to NPR.

Peoria police announced at about 7:05 p.m. Friday that officers were investigating a reported bomb threat at the plant, The Guardian reported. Officers urged anyone within the evacuation zone to leave their homes and businesses. The zone extended across the river into part of East Peoria. Streets were closed, and the city made Manual Academy available as a temporary shelter for displaced residents. Police said people who needed help leaving could call for assistance.

Explosives technicians rendered the device safe, but investigators continued searching the large facility through Saturday. “We don’t know if there are other devices,” Ali said during the response, according to The Guardian. Dixon asked residents to remain patient while crews completed their work.

“We understand that this is a disruptive process for our residents and guests,” Dixon said. “We’re asking for the public’s patience while we work to make this area safe.”

By Saturday afternoon, state, federal and local authorities had completed what police described as an extensive search. They found no other items of concern, and police said closed streets would reopen. “Residents are now free to return to their homes in the area that was affected by this order,” the department said, according to The Guardian.

The evacuation disrupted Saturday events, according to The Guardian, citing local outlet WEEK. A hockey game and a dance-themed charity event were delayed, while organizers canceled at least the Saturday portion of a Comic Con event planned through Sunday.

The FBI is investigating. An FBI official said agents would work “tirelessly” to identify whoever was responsible and “bring them to justice.” No arrests had been announced, and no injuries were reported.