Bomb found at BioUrja ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois; 1-mile evacuation ordered
A bomb discovered near a BioUrja ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, prompted a 1-mile evacuation order. Police rendered the device safe by 9:12 p.m. Friday.
Peoria bomb scare forces mass evacuation near ethanol plant
A bomb discovered near the BioUrja ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, forced residents within a 1-mile radius to evacuate Friday, cbsnews.com reports. The suspicious package was found at approximately 2 p.m. and was later classified as a "credible threat" by local authorities.
Police Chief Brad Dixon confirmed early Saturday that evacuation notifications had been issued covering the full 1-mile blast radius around the BioUrja facility. The package was "rendered safe" at 9:12 p.m., though Dixon stressed the wider site had not been cleared. "The area of BioUrja has not been rendered safe, just the package that was on site. It's a large facility, there's going to be an exhaustive search," he said at a press conference.
The FBI joined a multi-agency response alongside the Peoria Police Department, Peoria Fire Department, Peoria County Sheriff's Department, the Illinois Secretary of State's Office, and Illinois State Police. FBI Special Agent Ryan Presley told reporters: "We will work tirelessly to identify the individual responsible and bring them to justice."
Illinois Governor Pritzker said on social media he was "actively monitoring the bomb threat in Peoria" and had directed the Illinois State Police to coordinate with local authorities. Mayor Rita Ali, speaking with WMBD News late Friday, highlighted the particular danger posed by the site: "It's a plant that has ethanol and highly combustible types of chemicals, and so that's what alarms us."
The Peoria Police Department advised residents displaced by the evacuation to seek shelter at Manual Academy. Country music singer Jon Pardi also cancelled a nearby concert as a result of the incident, writing: "Peoria we're disappointed we won't get to spend tonight with you."
BioUrja's plant sits along the Illinois River in the southern part of Peoria, a city of central Illinois located roughly 75 miles north of Springfield and 150 miles southwest of Chicago. Searches for additional devices in the broader area were ongoing as of Saturday morning.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)