Brighton Park migrant tent site had mercury, arsenic, other contaminants — but city deems it ‘safe for temporary residential use’

Arsenic, mercury, lead, manganese and a chemical used in PVC were among the heavy metals and toxic contaminants discovered in the soil at a Southwest Side site that is being prepared to house newly arrived migrants.

In each case, these contaminants were detected at levels that require cleanup to protect human health, according to a nearly 800-page report City Hall released late Friday evening.

In addition, traces of other toxic chemicals, including cyanide, pesticides and the long-banned, cancer-causing compounds known as PCBs were also found by a city consultant.

Despite finding all the toxic matter, city officials said the most problematic levels of contamination were removed and declared the site “safe for temporary residential use.”

The privately owned industrial land at 38th and California is being leased by the city to shelter as many as 2,000 migrants.

The state, which is committing $65 million for the shelter and is directing the contractor building on the site, will have to sign off on the environmental report.

“The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency will have to review it,” said Jordan Abudayyeh, a spokeswoman for Gov. J.B. Pritzker. “We will not utilize that site if IEPA does not sign off.”

She declined to comment further until state officials review the report.

The city’s consultant said it can’t guarantee there isn’t additional contamination, and if additional materials are discovered, “activities should be halted.”

“We cannot represent that the site contains no hazardous substances, toxic material, petroleum products or other latent conditions beyond those identified during this evaluation,” the city consultant Terracon said in the report.

The more than nine acres of land has a long history of industrial use, and yet the city previously said the site appears to be “viable” for a winterized tent camp.

Johnson has been pushing forward on the plan amid residents’ protests.

The land is zoned for heavy manufacturing use, and the environmental testing is necessary to determine if the area is safe for human health.

The property is owned by Barnacres, a company affiliated with city contractor Sanchez Paving in Markham.

Ald. Julia Ramirez (12th) said last month she was told heavy metal contamination had been found by the city, but full details had not been shared with her at the time.

Johnson promised the environmental report would be out this week. On Friday, journalists were told to file open records requests to access the document.

The report was released just after 8 p.m. Friday night.