Developer behind botched smokestack implosion faces new fines
CHICAGO - The suburban developer behind a botched smokestack implosion in Chicago faces a new $2,500 fine for allowing “silty water” into the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, according to health officials.
A city health inspector found the runoff water recently near a shuttered power station and issued the citation against Hilco Redevelopment Partners on Friday.
Last month, the Northbrook-based firm and contractors imploded a smokestack, blanketing a the Little Village neighborhoods with dust. The Illinois attorney general’s office has sued over the release of contaminants in the mostly Latino neighborhood with a high number of low income residents.
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The Chicago Department of Public Health said it would “continue the investigation to determine whether there were any chemicals contained in the runoff while simultaneously reviewing the developer’s current procedures to ensure similar situations will not occur in the future,” according to a statement.
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Hilco officials didn’t immediately return a message left Sunday.
The developer has been issued numerous violations with fines totally more than $70,000. The company has previously apologized for “for the anxiety and fear caused,” and has agreed to pay for cleanup efforts.