Chicago Department of Water Management Safety Update July 31, 2006

Late 2004 and early 2005, the City of Chicago Department of Water Management, (Chicago Water Department) located at 4900 West Sunnyside Avenue was under a microscope by Amy Le, Staff Reporter of the Pioneer Press. A Chicago Water Department employee reported a very unsafe toxic condition which effects all of the construction yards in Chicago. Lime based material such as FA-6 and limestones cause many lung diseases. Today at the Central Yard, we had a very hot day which blew the dusts into our lungs and made many of us ill. One of the crushed limestone supplier’s is Vulcan, with a yard near the Daley Bridgeport clout rich 11th Ward. Vulcan follows the rules by providing a mist to keep dust down. (See picture) When first news of investigation was exposed to Chicago Management, a laborer was outside hosing down the deadly dust, and in Chicago tradition the practice was stopped when the heat was off. ( By heat I mean Reporters and State of Illinois Inspectors) Again, Chicago, the phony Green City, please protect your City Workers lives with dust suppression. All deadly dusts should be controlled with Liqnosulfonate or Calcium Chloride, or if you wish to make Patrick McDonough happy use EK-35 the EPA choice for maxium protection. The piles of dusts on a cars after a long hard day of work are also in our lungs. Chicago is not a “Green City”, not by a long shot. Please contact Alderman Levar to see what he has done to help his voters in that dangerous Ward. (Nothing) Photo by Patrick McDonough.