Authorities evacuated areas around the BioUrja Renewables ethanol plant in Peoria, Illinois, after a device was found, according to WLS-TV. A widely shared post from the OSINTdefender account said the evacuations extended one mile from the facility.
Mayor said “bomb”; police used different language
At a Friday news conference, Mayor Rita Ali said, “We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb,” according to a clip quoted by the OSINTdefender account. On Saturday, Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon declined to use that term, saying, “I’m just going to tell you the wording we use: It was a credible threat… that process of determining what was in that device is underway currently,” WCBU-FM reported.
Ali later emphasized that her wording was her “interpretation.” “Words do matter. Bomb is my interpretation… Law enforcement is correct in not labeling it as a bomb until the contents have been fully examined… Mine are lay terms,” she said, according to WCBU-FM.
Evacuation lifted; no other items found
WCBU-FM reported the evacuation order was lifted by 1 p.m. Saturday. Peoria Police said on X that state, federal, and local teams “conducted an extensive search of the BioUrja facility” and “found no other items of concern.” The department added that barricades would be removed and “all roads will be opened.”
Why the perimeter — and a river shutdown
Officials estimated a potential one-mile blast radius not only because of the device but due to materials inside the plant, WLS-TV reported. The facility is large — roughly the area of 44 football fields — and sits along the Illinois River, which the U.S. Coast Guard closed to boat traffic during the search, according to WLS. The river reopened when the evacuation order was lifted, the station reported.
What remains unclear
Police said analysis of the device is ongoing, according to WCBU-FM. No additional details about the device’s contents or origin were provided in the sources cited here.
