Bomb technicians rendered the device safe Friday night, but authorities have not cleared the BioUrja ethanol plant. Residents and businesses within a one-mile radius were told to stay away as investigators searched for additional explosives

The bomb has been disarmed, but the danger zone around an Illinois ethanol plant remains under evacuation as investigators search for additional explosives. Authorities in Peoria say a device discovered at the BioUrja Renewables facility was rendered safe Friday night, yet the site has not been cleared and residents within a one-mile radius have been told to remain away.

The incident triggered a large-scale evacuation across parts of Peoria and neighboring East Peoria, disrupting homes, businesses and local events. The FBI has joined the investigation, but officials have not publicly identified a suspect or disclosed a possible motive.

The device was made safe at approximately 9:12 p.m. Friday, according to local authorities. That intervention did not end the emergency. Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon said the facility was still being searched and that investigators could not yet rule out the possibility of other devices.

“It’s a large facility, there’s going to be an exhaustive search of the facility,” Dixon told reporters during a news conference early Saturday. He stressed that the wider area had not been declared safe and urged anyone living or working within the designated one-mile radius to leave.

The threat emerged after BioUrja contacted police at about 1:08 p.m. Friday to report a bomb threat. A suspicious package was found roughly an hour later. By 6:45 p.m., authorities had determined that it represented a credible threat, prompting the evacuation order.

Peoria Mayor Rita Ali confirmed the seriousness of the discovery in remarks to local television. “A device has been identified. We know it’s a credible threat. We know it’s a bomb,” she said, adding that officials did not know whether other devices might be present.

The location heightened concern. BioUrja Renewables processes ethanol and other highly combustible chemicals, Ali said. The plant, formerly an ADM facility, sits along the Illinois River in the southern part of Peoria.

The evacuation zone covers parts of downtown Peoria and the Warehouse District, extending across the river into East Peoria. Emergency shelters were opened for displaced residents. About 75 people were staying at Manual Academy in Peoria early Saturday, while East Peoria designated the EastSide Centre as a shelter.

The disruption extended beyond residential neighborhoods. Interstate 74 reopened, but several roads near the facility remained closed. Caterpillar told employees not to report for the overnight shift, and a concert by country singer Jon Pardi at the Peoria Civic Center was canceled. Although the venue itself is outside the evacuation perimeter, its parking lots fall within the affected area.

Federal investigators are working alongside local and state agencies to determine who was responsible for the threat. Ryan Presley, the FBI special agent in charge of the Springfield office, said the device had been rendered safe and pledged that investigators would work to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

The investigation remained active Saturday. The Associated Press reported that no arrests had been made and no injuries had been reported. Authorities have not announced when residents will be allowed to return to their homes and businesses.

(Photo: © AndKronos)