ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL ANNOUNCES SETTLEMENT WITH KROGER AND SSI SERVICES OVER MISHANDLED ASBESTOS IN TAYLORVILLE GROCERY STORE

January 22, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today announced a settlement with The Kroger Co. (Kroger) and SSI Services LLC (SSI Services) in relation to the alleged improper handling and removal of materials containing asbestos from a grocery store in Taylorville, Illinois.

In August 2022, Raoul filed a lawsuit against Kroger and SSI Services alleging that the companies conducted unsafe renovations by leaving chipped floor tiles that contained asbestos in areas accessible to the public while the store was open, creating a substantial danger to public health. There is no known safe exposure level to asbestos. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause serious and fatal illnesses including malignant lung cancer, mesothelioma and asbestosis.

"This settlement holds Kroger and SSI Services accountable for jeopardizing the public's health by exposing shoppers and employees to dangerous materials containing asbestos," Raoul said. "I'm pleased that this case is resolved and that abatement been completed. I remain committed to protecting Illinois residents from those who would jeopardize their health, safety and the environment."

Observations of broken tiles in public areas of the grocery store led the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) to issue a seal order to protect public health in July 2022. After Raoul filed the lawsuit, the companies fulfilled the required abatement plan, and the IEPA lifted the seal order in December 2022.

The settlement requires that Kroger and SSI Services refrain from future violations and pay $108,000 in civil penalties.

Assistant Attorneys General Christina Briggs and Bridget Flynn handled the case for Raoul's Environmental Bureau.