Dear Adam & Marilyn:

Never thought I would thank you for having an explosion at your General Iron facility a few weeks back, but a belated thanks. 

Ever since then, the air is so clean I almost thought I was living in the country. But then I walk by your eyesore-of-a-business and I am reminded what a blight your business has been in the community for over 100 years. You could have done the right thing and invested in equipment that contained your PM2.5/VOC's  but you chose to invest in your man at city hall. Still staying in touch with Mr. Irrelevant?

Anyway, hoping Alderman Garza puts the brick on your southeast side ideas and you stay closed in Chicago forever. You know, if you have a hard time finding a place to relocate General Iron, maybe Rivkin or Reifman or Morita or Mr. Irrelevant can put in a good word for you up in Northfield. They say a business is always best when located close to home. xoxoxo

The Lincoln Park Community

Stop The Hypocrisy

The Chicago Department of Health talks out of both sides of their mouths. On one side of their mouth, the CDPH talks about how concern they are about protecting people from Coronavirus. On the other side of their mouths they let General Iron, a documented serial polluter, operate as an "essential" business. 

It is bad enough that all of us have to stay home worrying about Coronavirus. But to hear, smell and taste the pollution coming from this "essential" business  while all of us are hunkered down at home is unconscionable. Either the new administration missed this one or seems to be caving to GI's consultants, lawyers and lobbyists - like the last administration. We hope the former.

Here is what is "essential" about General Iron. It is essential that CDPH start acting like a real Public Health Department. A CDPH that cares about the the health and well-being of Chicagoans. Start by shutting down General Iron TODAY and FOREVER!   

 Shut them down!

Rahm's secretive pay-to-play deal to allow GI to operate until 2022 has been rescinded by  Mayor Lightfoot. Others in the administration who protected General Iron: Robert Rivkin former Deputy Mayor and now General Counsel at United Airlines. Dr. Julie Morita, former Commissioner of the City's Department of Public Health now working at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and David Reifman, former Commissioner at the Department of Planning and Development now working at Clayco. Good riddance to all four of you. 

Mayor Lightfoot has ordered General Iron to close their Lincoln Park operations by end of 2020 fulfilling her campaign promise of holding serial polluters accountable. Thank you to Mayor Lightfoot for doing the right thing and all of those who worked hard to expose this serial polluter. Historically, General Iron has ignored written agreement so lets hope this time General Iron holds up their end of the bargain. 

In July 2018, the USEPA issued Notices of Violations (www.epa.gov/il/general-iron) after 1) General Iron failed to provide/comply with a data request for Particulate Mass (metallic dust) on certain days, 2) failed to obtain an operating license for their Hammermill shredder from the IEPA, 3) failed to install required pollution control equipment on their shredder, 4) failed to submit for a Clean Air Act permit and 5) failed to obtain a Title V permit from the IEPA in violation of the federal  Clean Air Act and corresponding state clean air laws.

EPA enforcement options include 1) issuing an administrative compliance order, 2) issuing an administrative penalty order and 3) bringing a judicial civil or criminal action. 

Perhaps this explain why was General Iron and the Labkon family were represented by a criminal attorney, former US Attorney Patrick Collins, at  the September 19, 2018 hearing before the Health and Environmental Protection Committee.  

General Iron's negative Impact on Amazon

Standing at the corner of Marcey & Cortland, imagine what the Amazon site selection Committee was  thinking while they were coughing, sinus, eyes and throats burning. If first impressions are important when courting a company that can transform Chicago, then allowing General Iron to spew their pollution seven days a week while Amazon was exploring Lincoln Yards was a huge Administration mistake. 

It is analogous to Chicago inviting Amazon to a prom date except Chicago showed up to the date without brushing its teeth, combing its hair and taking a shower.

You don't get that 2nd date. How many more HQ's will we let General Iron chase away?

Background

General Iron is an open-air, scrap metal transfer station, located one block west of Clybourn Avenue at the corner of Cortland and Kingsbury in Lincoln Park. The facility is immediately adjacent to the Chicago River. General Iron has been operating at this location for several decades.  Marilyn Labkon, the owner of General Iron, has made substantial political contributions to many city politicians over the years including Mayor Emanuel and city council members of the Health Committee. Marilyn Labkon is a resident of the north shore. 

 

What is Scrap Metal?

Examples of discarded scrap metal are ordinary household metals (aerosol cans, beverage cans, old refrigerators, air conditioners), electrical metals (wire, conduit, light fixtures), car parts (radiators, batteries, transmissions) construction metals (paint cans, aluminum siding, rebar) and industrial metals (welding tanks). Some metals such as batteries, radiators, transmissions, refrigerators and paint cans contain, or are coated with, industrial chemicals.

Where Does the Scrap Metal Come From?

From anywhere and unknown origins; no questions asked.  Scrappers transport scrap metal from all over the Chicago metropolitan area to the General Iron facility. From small Scrappers who traverse the city alleys to large semi’s loaded with scrap, if it’s scrap metal, it is likely to be discarded at General Iron. The payment for the scrap metal varies based on demand for the various recycled metal.

What takes place at General Iron?

Monday through Saturday beginning at 5AM, General Iron receives truck loads of scrap metal from both known and unknown sources. The scrap metal is loaded into a shredder that shreds the scrap metal into small pieces. The shredded scrap metal is then loaded into a high-speed conveyor belt and thrown airborne onto large piles that extend 70’ or higher. There are several large piles of scrap metal stockpiled at the facility. Eventually, the shredded scrap metal is loaded onto barges and transported down the river to other facilities where the recycling process continues.  

Watch General Iron's operations first hand:

Why Should We Be Concerned?

1. While General Iron is known to receive automobiles and refrigerators for shredding, the origin for a substantial amount of the scrap metal received by General Iron is unknown.  General Iron does not pre-screen the scrap metal for coatings that contain hazardous waste, combustionable materials, toxins or contaminants that may be harmful to the environment (such as lead and acid from car batteries and Freon from discarded refrigerators) before the scrap metal is shredded and disbursed airborne into large stockpiles.

2. When the scrap metal exits the shredder, metallic dust known as PM2.5/10 and fiberglass is disbursed by the prevailing winds into the nearby neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and Bucktown. PM2.5/10 is known to contribute to various respiratory diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis.  In addition,  the heat generated by the shredding process eviscerates the unknown coatings on the scrap metal causing a plume of cancer-causing VOC's and SVOC's (semi-organic volatile compounds) to be disbursed by the prevailing winds into the nearby residential neighborhoods of Lincoln Park and Bucktown. Fiberglass insulation, contained in automobiles and refrigerator-type products, survives the shredding process. Fiberglass exposure can lead to  a respiratory disease called "asbestosis." Fiberglass insulation originating from General Iron has been found on the grounds of Oscar Mayer, Goddard, KinderCare and St. Josaphat Schools several blocks away.  

3. When the stockpiled scrap metal is exposed to water or rain, unknown quantities of metal dust and unknown quantities of coatings/pollutants may be washed onto the ground into the adjacent river and city sewer system.

4. When the scrap is loaded onto barges to be transported down the north branch of the Chicago river, it is likely some scrap metal inadvertently has been spilled into the river causing additional environmental concerns. 

5. Periodically, fires have spontaneously ignited in the large scrap piles exposing nearby residents of Lincoln Park and Bucktown toxic plumes of cancer-causing VOC's . Most recently, the morning of Sunday, December 6, 2015 and the morning of Friday, December 11, 2015, the Chicago Fire Department responded to burning piles of scrap metal. The CFD declared the December 6th fire a Level One Hazmat emergency due to nearby Lincoln Park residents and businesses being exposed to plumes of thick, dense smoke and possible exposure to unknown pollutants including VOC's for a two hour period before the fire was extinguished.

6. From time-to-time, spontaneous combustion has taken place at General Iron when unknown, highly volatile gases are ignited.

7. The Lincoln Park neighborhood is exposed to significant noise levels from General Iron’s operations six days a week including as early as 5AM on Saturdays.

Can General Iron relocate to other parts of the city that is a safe distance from residential neighborhoods?

Yes. There are many parts of the city where a shredder can operate safely without jeopardizing the health and well-being of residents who would otherwise live in close proximity to their facility. In addition, General Iron has the option of investing and installing state-of-the-art containment systems that would mitigate exposure to the nearby neighborhoods by containing their dust, smoke, insulation and water on their premises.