On One-Year Anniversary Of Botched Smokestack Demolition, Little Village Community Leaders Call For Jobs, Better Environmental Protection
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Residents and community leaders in Little Village on Sunday marked the one-year anniversary of the implosion of the Crawford coal plant.
They held a march and a vigil near the site of the botched smokestack implosion at the Crawford Generating Station at 35th Street and Pulaski Road. The implosion sent a huge toxic cloud of dust and debris over the neighborhood.
The implosion was led by Hilco Development Partners. The smokestack and power plant were demolished to make room for a new Target warehouse.
Activists said Hilco put profits over people. They want to have a say in the development process, and they want Target to ensure jobs for people in the surrounding community.
"We need good jobs; green jobs; long-term, sustainable jobs. We need green space. We need access to the river. We need to remediate the contamination. We need a Green New Deal. We need to act. We need to restart the Department of the Environment," said Ald. Byron Sigcho-Lopez (25th). "That's real justice."
Hilco was fined tens of thousands of dollars by the city following the implosion and was also sued by the Illinois Attorney General's office. The city also drew up new implosion permit rules.
But residents on Sunday said they want more safety measures going forward.
