CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Several people were arrested after protestors descended on the home of Chicago's top public health official last night.
The protestors gathered outside the home of Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady, because they want the city to deny a permit to a proposed metal shredding business on the Southeast Side.
The Southeast Side was home to the city's steel-making businesses and is heavily industrial, and some community members said they want the city to stop sending polluters to an area that already suffers from poor air quality.
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that four protestors were arrested for blocking the entrance to Arwady's home and then blocking the street.
Police issued citations to the four and let them go.
"We are listening carefully to the voices and concerns around the application process, as we have been for well over a year," said Arwady in a statement. She also said that "CDPH is conducting a robust Health Impact Assessment" with the help of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“Once completed it will be the most rigorous and comprehensive study of a proposed industrial facility in Chicago to date,” Arwady added.
A decision on the matter is expected by the end of January.