Chicago is a city of contrasts. In the West Loop, South Loop and Lincoln Park, shiny new offices and condo buildings continue sprouting up. Meanwhile, on the Southeast Side, residents find themselves in an ongoing battle to prevent dirty industrial developments.
The latest proposal is a mine in my neighborhood.
If Chicago alderpersons proposed a mine in Lincoln Park, they would be laughed out of the City Council. But on the Southeast Side, a dangerously absurd proposal by Ald. Peter Chico (10th) to allow the Ozinga-backed underground warehouse project, under industrial land where Republic Steel formerly operated, is actually being considered, despite opposition from the community and some city officials.
The proposal would amend a city zoning law and potentially allow an exemption for mining at the Ozinga project to extract limestone, a critical component in the production of cement, which is the core Ozinga’s business.
It’s time we stop seeing the Southeast Side as a sacrifice zone for industry and advocate for a cumulative impact ordinance. Such an ordinance would consider the combined effects of multiple industrial facilities, ensuring that communities like the Southeast Side are not unfairly burdened by pollution and health risks. It’s a crucial step toward achieving environmental justice.
In my community alone, there are approximately 200 dirty industrial sites, and all that pollution accumulates, especially when you add mining to the mix.
The Southeast Side has immense potential for clean development. By investing in renewable energy projects, green infrastructure and sustainable industries, we could revitalize our community without compromising its health and environment.
The Southeast Side is a community with dreams, aspirations and a right to a safe and healthy environment. It’s time for Chicago to prioritize the well-being of all its residents.
‘Something out of a fantasy novel’
But the stark reality is that, as clean development happens in some neighborhoods, Southeast Siders are grappling with the absurdity of a proposed mining project that reads like something out of a fantasy novel.
The Invert mining project would be located across from George Washington High School. It could be one of the most dangerous projects proposed for our community in decades because of explosions and the likelihood of dust from both this project and other polluters that have left toxic metals in our soil over the years.
Imagine if the same situation were unfolding in a neighborhood like Lincoln Park. Would residents there accept the presence of a mine, a decade’s worth of explosions and all the environmental and health risks of the mining process? The answer is, clearly, no. So, why should Southeast Side residents be any different?
Despite residents’ objections and the sheer ludicrousness of locating a mine in the third-most populous city in the country, industry continues to push the idea, and they have a shot at making it a horrible reality for my community.
Chicago’s undeniable tale of two cities — one thriving, the other being sacrificed for the promise of a few jobs — is unacceptable.
The pandemic has highlighted the persistent role of race in the health risks faced by Chicagoans. Communities like ours demand equity in determining the future of our neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, projects like Invert will continue to surface until leaders send a resounding message that there are no sacrifice zones in our city. We urgently need a citywide policy to address disparities and dismantle racist zoning and land use laws.
Southeast Siders and other environmental justice communities need assurance that projects like Invert will never see the light of day and that our city’s zoning laws will genuinely protect our health. It’s time for Chicago to stand up for equity and justice, ensuring that all its residents can enjoy a brighter, safer and healthier future.
Oscar Sanchez is a Southeast Side environmental organizer and co-director of the Southeast Environmental Task Force.
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