General Iron partially reopens in Lincoln Park

General Iron reopened part of its Lincoln Park operations for the first time since the city shut down the site after explosions in May.

Under a city order approved last month, the company is allowed to receive, sort and ship scrap metal to be reused but is not allowed to operate its metal shredding equipment. The explosions involved ancillary equipment of the shredder, the city said.

The entire facility at 1909 N. Clifton Ave. was shut down May 18 as the city “determined that the site posed an immediate danger and constituted an imminent threat to the public at large.”

Following a Chicago Department of Fire inspection in early June, the city issued an order June 24 saying General Iron can reopen.

The site reopened June 29, General Iron’s owner said in a statement, adding that “we are proceeding with repairs and looking forward to receiving all necessary approvals to resume full operations.”

“After a necessary period of closure to ascertain the scope of the issues surrounding the incident, the city concluded that it would be appropriate and create no safety issues to allow the facility to resume non-shredding activities,” a statement from Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s office said.

The business has long been the source of complaints by residents and received dozens of city citations for pollution and nuisance law violations since late last year.

“I feel sheer disappointment and frustration,” said Lara Compton, whose organization Clean the North Branch has called on the city to keep General Iron closed. “I’m in utter disbelief our politicians would protect a serial polluter during a pandemic.”

General Iron’s owner plans to relocate the Lincoln Park operations to the East Side neighborhood where residents and some local politicians have protested the move, arguing that the area cannot tolerate any additional air pollution.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s administration recently approved a construction permit that will allow the business to open on the Southeast Side.

The city order allowing the reopening was approved last month by Lightfoot’s outgoing Building Commissioner Judith Frydland and Fire Commissioner Richard C. Ford II.

Brett Chase’s reporting on the environment and public health is made possible by a grant from The Chicago Community Trust.