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Stop General Iron's Move To The Southeast Side
Scrap metal recycler General Iron is still in the process of moving to Chicago's Southeast Side despite their history of pollution.
The Southeast Side was once the largest steel manufacturing hub in the world. Now, that same area is the most heavily polluted in Chicago.
Descendents of the steelworkers that once served as our city's economic backbone now bear the burden of the environmental degradation and public health consequences of industry. The city must stop this continued environmental injustice by preventing the move of yet another serial polluter into the backyard of Southeast Side residents.
General Iron has a glaring history of pollution and has repeatedly violated environmental law. In 2005, General Iron was ranked as having the highest risk score out of every factory in Chicago, and the company has been repeatedly cited since then. General Iron had a fire in 2015, was ordered by the city to shut down in 2016, and was issued a citation by the city in 2018. The company received multiple EPA probes and in the last few years was cited by both the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Illinois EPA for violating the Clean Air Act. Lincoln Park residents who mobilized to remove General Iron from their neighborhood raised concerns about particulate matter and foul smells coming from the metal shredder, and just last year a fire broke out at the Lincoln Park location just a week after the company payed a settlement for an explosion that occurred in May 2020.
Moving General Iron out of Lincoln Park and into the Southeast Side will not change the company's clear pattern of pollution. Moving General Iron to the Southeast Side means moving a serial polluter to a primarily black and brown community already burdened by environmental degradation. This is the definition of environmental injustice and racism.
Residents of Chicago, please tell Mayor Lori Lightfoot and city officials to deny General Iron's permit and stop their move to the Southeast Side. Thank you!
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Stop General Iron's Move To The Southeast Side
All humans deserve the right to live in healthy communities where they can breathe clean air and exist without worry that their home is the site of pollution. The Southeast Side was once the largest steel manufacturing hub in the world. Now, that same area is the most heavily polluted in Chicago. Descendents of the steelworkers that once served as our city's economic backbone now bear the burden of the environmental degradation and public health consequences of industry. The city must stop this continued environmental injustice by preventing the move of yet another serial polluter into the backyard of Southeast Side residents.
General Iron has a glaring history of pollution and has repeatedly violated environmental law. In 2005, General Iron was ranked as having the highest risk score out of every factory in Chicago, and the company has been repeatedly cited since then. General Iron had a fire in 2015, was ordered by the city to shut down in 2016, and was issued a citation by the city in 2018. The company received multiple EPA probes and in the last few years was cited by both the Chicago Department of Public Health and the Illinois EPA for violating the Clean Air Act. Lincoln Park residents who mobilized to remove General Iron from their neighborhood raised concerns about particulate matter and foul smells coming from the metal shredder, and just last year a fire broke out at the Lincoln Park location just a week after paying a settlement for an explosion that occurred in May 2020.
Moving General Iron out of Lincoln Park and into the Southeast Side will not change the company's clear pattern of pollution. Moving General Iron to the Southeast Side means moving a serial polluter to a primarily black and brown community already burdened by environmental degradation. This is the definition of environmental injustice and racism.
Residents of Chicago, please tell Mayor Lori Lightfoot and City Council to deny General Iron's permit and stop their move to the Southeast Side. Thank you!
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We're not able to reach your elected officials, but you can still help!
This advocacy alert is only open to residents of Chicago, but you can still speak up for the Environment in many ways. Visit Openlands.org/Advocacy to view our other active campaigns.
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Thank You
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Get in touch! Org Email or Org Phone