Committee on I lealih and Human Relations
RESOLUTION CALLING FOR THE FULL RELEASE OF THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL'S INVESTGATION INTO THE CRAWFORD POWER PLANT'S DEMOLITION
WHEREAS, On April 11, 2020, HILCO Redevelopment Partners ("HILCO"), owner ofthe Crawford Power Plant (the "Plant") in Little Village, and their general contractors, MCM Management Corporation and Controlled Demolition, failed to protect residents of the neighborhood when they demolished a smokestack on the Plant's property sending a plume of dust into the air that spread over multiple residential blocks; and
WHEREAS, The mismanaged demolition of the smokestack not only endangered the health of those caught in the dust plume, but also damaged nearby homes and property, thereby requiring an extensive cleanup of the dust by all who were impacted; and
WHEREAS, After the demolition, the City issued 16 citations that should have resulted in $68,000 in fines for HILCO and its contractors, but the City reportedly settled for only $19,000, and HILCO and its contractors will pay $370,000 to settle a separate lawsuit filed by the Illinois Attorney General; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Office of Inspector General (OIG) investigated the City's part in the Plant's botched demolition and found numerous deficiencies with the permitting process, including the Department of Buildings' (the "DOB") failure to follow its own regulations for demolitions involving explosives, and the Chicago Department of Public Health's (CDPH) failure to elevate concerns about the potential environmental implications ofthe implosion; and
WHEREAS, Through its investigation, the OIG issued several recommendations to the DOB and CDPH to ensure a botched demolition does not occur again, and while many reforms have been implemented, the new policies do not help those who suffered on April 11, 2020; and
WHEREAS, While the OIG has published a summary of their investigation into the HILCO smokestack demolition, found in their 2021 Fourth Quarter Report on January 14, 2022, a complete copy of the investigation report has not been published; and
WHEREAS, Good government requires transparency, and to help our neighbors and community heal from HILCO's actions and the City's failure to protect them, the City should release the full report of what happened at the Plant; and
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the members of the City Council of the City of Chicago hereby call upon the Corporation Counsel to immediately release the report ofthe Office of Inspector General regarding the demolition of the Crawford Power Plant, subject to any applicable redactions to protect personal information in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.
MICHAEL RODRIGUEZ Alderman, 22nd Ward