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Attorney General Madigan Files Lawsuit Against Trump Tower for Failing to Protect Chicago River


Trump Tower Chicago
Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago (Source: Vizts.com)

Lawsuit Alleges Trump Tower Operations Jeopardize Fish Populations

Chicago —(ENEWSPF)—August 14, 2018
By: Rosemary Piser

Attorney General Lisa Madigan today filed a lawsuit against Trump International Hotel & Tower (Trump Tower) in Chicago for violating environmental laws and jeopardizing fish and aquatic life in the Chicago River.

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges that Trump Tower failed to comply with environmental laws that protect rivers and lakes by releasing nearly 20 million gallons of heated water into the Chicago River per day without having conducted federally mandated studies to determine the impact on the river’s fish. In addition, Trump Tower dumps this water without the required National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. The previous permit expired on August 31, 2017.

Attorney General Madigan said at the announcement, “Trump Tower continues to take millions of gallons of water from the Chicago River every day without a permit and without any regard to how it may be impacting the river’s ecosystem. I filed my lawsuit to make sure Trump Tower cannot continue violating the law.”

In June, 2018, the Sierra Club and Friends of the Chicago River announced plans to sue Trump Tower regarding continuing violations of the Clean Water Act and failure to follow the law.

Previously, in 2012, Madigan filed a complaint with the Illinois Pollution Control Board alleging that Trump Tower was releasing heated water into the Chicago River without an NPDES permit. The matter was settled and Trump Tower was ordered to obtain an NPDES permit, pay a fine and comply with environmental laws. The building sought a modified NPDES permit in 2013 after initially misreporting the amount of water being withdrawn and discharged into the Chicago River each day. Madigan’s current lawsuit seeks to prevent further violations of state environmental laws as well as civil penalties.

Source: www.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov


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