CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Local environmental groups held an emergency meeting Thursday after 10th ward Alderman Peter Chico proposed an amendment to city zoning law, that would allow for mining in Chicago.
Many believe this is a direct move intended to push forward a massive industrial undertaking on the Southeast Side along the Calumet River.
Amalia Nieto Gomez is executive director for the Alliance of the Southeast, where neighbors have been pushing back against zoning and industrial proposals for years. They say these proposals create a sacrifice zone on the Southeast side, sacrificing the health of residents in the name of industry.
"The proposed city ordinance would allow mining in Chicago," she said. "It's already banned for a reason and we should not have mining next to our homes, our schools, our parks and our grocery stores."
Nieto-Gomez warns that this zoning amendment impacts the entire city with other environmental activists on this emergency ZOOM meeting speculating that if a 6 million square foot industrial project were pitched for Lincoln Park or the South Loop, it wouldn’t make it very far.
Nieto-Gomez, in her closing comments, said that Southeast Side residents want development and investment in their communities, but it should be done with health in mind "and not toxic developments that are detrimental to our community and our health."
49th ward Alder Maria Hadden, who chairs the Committee on Environmental Protection and Energy told the Chicago Sun- Times that she will definitely want to look over Alderman Chico’s proposal.
Hadden repeated that a similar use was denied in federal court, when General Iron attempted to relocate to the Southeast Side.
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