A contracting company by the name of Terracon Consultants confirmed that Brighton Park still contained high levels of toxic chemicals. $29 million seemingly went down the drain for a toxic issue that was known for at least a decade, but GardaWorld is being held responsible because Pritzker said they were aware of the risks. Why the rush into a bad decision?
This turn of events won’t turn away the frustration that select Aldermen and Chicagoans have towards Johnson’s administration and the Mayor himself.
Chicago Attorney Frank Avila said that the toxic soil was a known issue since at least 2010. Did Pritzker know? The Chicago Tribune reported in late November of 2023 that Pritzker’s administration sought migrant tent camp proposals before Mayor Johnson took office, so why wasn’t this supervised more closely?
Not only were GardaWorld employees put at risk of running into potential health issues on the site, but also the residents or anyone on the route the trucks took due to the soil being dug up and transported in the open air. The disturbed soil at the site potentially pollutes the local air which can affect the residents in the community that live all around the site, and it was the pending home for the illegal migrants. This could have resulted in devastating effects by living directly on the site, which could have placed the ball in their court for legal action.
Are they out of the woods just yet?
According to Envirourgence, “Contaminated soil can release volatile compounds into the atmosphere” and the soil at this aborted tent city has high levels of toxic chemicals like mercury.
