Bomb technicians rendered an explosive device safe inside the BioUrja Renewables ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, on Friday night, but a one-mile evacuation covering parts of Peoria and East Peoria remained in effect on Saturday morning as investigators searched the large industrial site for any additional devices, Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon said.

Source: WMBD Radio (104.9 The Wolf)

The emergency began on Friday afternoon, November 13. According to Chief Dixon, BioUrja notified Peoria police about a bomb threat at approximately 1:08 p.m. Central time, and a suspicious package arrived at the plant at around 2 p.m. The plant, formerly operated by Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM), is located at 1 Edmund Street in Peoria, on the Illinois River near downtown.

At approximately 6:45 p.m., investigators determined the package was a credible threat and established a one-mile evacuation area, with evacuation notifications going out at about 7:02 p.m. Officials said the blast radius covered more than three square miles. Boat traffic on the Illinois River and vehicle traffic on the bridges across it were blocked, streets around the plant were closed, and Interstate 74 was shut for a period before reopening while other restrictions stayed in place.

Source: The Center Square

A real device, officials say — and a plant that is still not cleared

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali told reporters that authorities had identified a bomb at the complex, while cautioning that investigators did not yet know whether any additional devices were present. At a news conference at around 1 a.m. on Saturday, Chief Dixon stressed that making the first device safe did not mean the facility had been cleared. “It's a large facility. There's going to be an exhaustive search of the facility. That has not been completed yet,” Dixon said. “We will likely be well into tomorrow. Probably late into the weekend.” Dixon would not confirm online rumours claiming that more devices had been found.

Bomb technicians rendered the package safe at approximately 9:12 p.m. on Friday, police said. As of the Saturday morning briefings, officials had not publicly identified a suspect and had not established a motive. No injuries were reported in the accounts reviewed on Saturday morning.

Governor, FBI and federal agencies join the response

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker said he had directed the Illinois State Police to coordinate with local authorities and that he was actively monitoring the situation. The FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security were also present in the response, The Center Square reported. Ryan Presley, special agent in charge of the FBI's Springfield field office, said: “While it is early in the investigation, know this — we will work tirelessly to identify the individual responsible and bring them to justice.”

Source: The Center Square

U.S. Representative Eric Sorensen was at the Peoria Manual High School evacuation site late on Friday and urged everyone inside the zone to leave: “If you're within the 1-mile radius of the chemical plant BioUrja in Peoria, you have to evacuate,” Sorensen said.

Concert cancelled, shifts called off as the city waits

The emergency disrupted a Friday night across the city. Country singer Jon Pardi's Friday concert was cancelled because of the nearby safety concern, Caterpillar advised some employees not to report for an overnight shift, and local healthcare institutions reported taking precautions, according to local coverage compiled on Saturday morning.

Ethanol plants produce and store highly flammable fuel, which is one reason officials set a wide one-mile safety radius and are searching the site methodically rather than rushing an all-clear. The plant sits in the heart of Peoria, a central Illinois city on the Illinois River, and the evacuation zone reaches homes and businesses on both banks of the river, in Peoria and in East Peoria.

For truckers and other drivers, the main through route, Interstate 74 across the Illinois River, had reopened by Saturday morning, but streets inside the evacuation zone remained closed and police urged drivers to stay out of the area until the all-clear is given.

What happens next

Peoria police planned a further media update around noon on Saturday, and Chief Dixon said the search and the evacuation could continue into Saturday afternoon and possibly late into the weekend. Officials said notifications will be sent when the evacuation order is lifted. Until then, the instruction to everyone inside the one-mile radius is unchanged: stay out, follow Peoria and East Peoria police directions, and do not return home just because the first device was made safe.