Ald. Michael Rodriguez said residents have a right to know whether there was negligence related to the demolition of the Crawford coal plant chimney in April 2020.
A West Side alderman is asking Mayor Lori Lightfoot to “expeditiously” release a report from the city’s watchdog that investigated a botched demolition in April 2020 that blanketed Little Village in a thick dust cloud.
“I stand with community members today to continue to ask for this report to be released so we can understand more thoroughly the circumstances leading up to this event and if there was negligence on behalf of the city departments or workers in this process,” Ald. Michael Rodriguez (22nd) said during an online news conference Wednesday morning.
Rodriguez noted that the report, which is being reviewed by the Lightfoot administration, recommended that three city officials be disciplined, including one possible firing. The city has until the end of this month or early December to respond to the Chicago Office of Inspector General, Rodriguez said in an interview, adding that the report should be made public as soon as possible.
“This is something people have been waiting over 18 months for,” Rodriguez said.
Chicago Inspector General Joe Ferguson, in his final public report as the city’s watchdog, revealed last month that his office wrapped up an investigation of the debacle, which coated the West Side community on Easter weekend of last year after an almost 400-foot smokestack at the former Crawford power plant came crashing down as part of the plant’s demolition.
The city is required to respond to the inspector general’s office about the recommendations, though it does not have to make the report public. Once the city has responded, the inspector general usually summarizes the investigation in a quarterly report. The next report from the office is not expected out until the middle of January.
Last month, Rodriguez sent Lightfoot a letter, co-signed by four other Chicago-area elected officials, making similar demands. U.S. Rep. Jesus “Chuy” Garcia, state Sen. Celina Villanueva, state Rep. Edgar Gonzalez and Cook County Commissioner Alma Anaya also signed the letter asking for the report to be released “as soon as possible to maintain an honorable level of accountability and transparency we have promised our constituents.”
On Wednesday, Rodriguez said “my constituents and my neighbors deserve accountable and transparent government” and called the implosion a “terrible incident.”
City officials did not respond to requests for comment.
Several community groups, including Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, are also calling for environmental monitoring of air and soil and demanded that Lightfoot apologize for the 2020 incident.
Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.
from Chicago Sun-Times - All https://ift.tt/3c1jsbe
No comments:
Post a Comment