What's the Problem?
The lawsuit, filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, alleges that developer Hilco and its contractors, MCM Management Corp and Controlled Demolition, violated Illinois air pollution regulations when it demolished the 378-foot smokestack on April 11, 2020.
Following the city-approved implosion, a cloud of dust covered the streets of Little Village, causing residents to suffer a variety of respiratory health effects.
“The companies responsible for the demolition of the Crawford Power Generating Station’s smokestack failed to take steps to protect the community from air pollution and compromised air quality at a time when we are urging residents to remain in their communities to minimize the spread of a deadly respiratory disease,” Raoul said in the complaint. “I am committed to holding the defendants accountable for the environmental damage done to the Little Village community and working to address any remaining contamination.”
Following the demolition, city officials issued a stop-work order at the site and hit the company with $68,000 in fines. The company’s contractor, Heneghan Wrecking, has been allowed to clean up demolition debris at the site.
The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency referred the investigation to the state attorney general’s office after the company and its contractor “failed to take necessary steps to protect nearby residents from the resulting impact of the implosion,” according to EPA Director John J. Kim.
The lawsuit seeks undetermined civil penalties and is requiring the defendants to take corrective and preventative actions to protect residents from air pollution.
Hilco is facing at least 2 other lawsuits from Little Village residents following the implosion, in addition to a wrongful death suit filed on behalf of a worker who fell to his death.
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Do I Have a Little Village Implosion Lawsuit?
The Workplace and Environmental Litigation Group at our law firm is an experienced team of trial lawyers that focus on the representation of plaintiffs in Little Village Implosion Lawsuits. We are handling individual litigation nationwide and currently accepting new injury and death cases in all 50 states.
If you or a loved one has suffered health effects from the smokestack implosion in Little Village, Chicago, you should contact our law firm immediately. You may be entitled to a settlement by filing a suit and we can help.
