I want to thank those of you who read and shared my statement regarding the devastating implosion that occurred this past Saturday, April 11, 2020 in Little Village. I condemn the disregard to our communities and our environment, and pledge my advocacy for the recovery of those impacted. Once again, my commitment is to ensure environmental justice in the 7th District.
I also want to thank the advocates for their tireless commitment to environmental equity and for alerting my office to this plan. I stand in full support of the community’s list of demands to address the damages caused. I will continue to work collaboratively to uplift the concerns of my constituents, and seek the needed answers and assistance. My office have engaged in community meetings regarding the Crawford Coal Plant site prior to the implosion, and will continue to participate in any way necessary to ensure justice.
I encourage you all to join me in signing the petition from Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO) and also in reviewing the updates captioned below that highlight the actions I have taken thus far.
Please know my office is available to assist with any questions or concerns on a remote basis at this time. Please call (773) 376-2700 or (312) 603-5443 with any inquiries. You can also email us at 7thDistrict@cookcounty.onmicrosoft.com.
7th District Hilco Updates
- On March 31st, I signed on to a letter addressed to Governor Pritzker and Mayor Lightfoot along with other elected officials and advocates urging them to use their executive powers to suspend operations at facilities throughout the state that generate air pollution. This was in response to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) order in late March suspending regulations on pollution.
- I signed on to a joint letter with other Southwest Side elected officials addressed to the state and federal-level EPAs and the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) with several demands including that operations at the site be halted and that no further actions take place during the pandemic and until a public plan is issued. It also calls for an investigation of the pollutants emitted by the implosion.
- I submitted a letter to CDPH, the City’s Department of Buildings, and the Mayor’s Office urging answers to the community, status of the investigation regarding contaminants onsite, and the cleaning timeline. We also urge consistent monitoring of health conditions and financial assistance for the damages caused.
- My office submitted a City of Chicago 311 complaint on Air Pollution, Odor, or Dust in regards to the particulate matter emitted.
- My office continues to communicate with the Cook County Assessor’s Office regarding the status of Hilco Redevelopment Partner’s application for a Class 6B tax incentive. I will be strongly advocating for the $19.7 million tax incentive to be rescinded. Any entity that has no regard for my district should not be entitled to any benefits.
- Furthermore, I submitted a formal complaints to the CDPH and a request for an investigation to City of Chicago Office of the Inspector General.
- Finally, I will be participating in a press conference on Thursday, April 16, 2020 along side advocates and other elected officials to reiterate the community demands.
Updated: April 15, 2020
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