


Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-IL) dropped controversial plans to build an immigrant shelter site in Brighton Park after the release of an environmental report on Friday that showed high levels of mercury and other contaminants on the lot.
After several delays sparked by protests from neighboring residents and environmental concerns, Pritzker’s office said on Tuesday that construction would not move forward after Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson cleared the proposal to help shelter immigrants living at police stations and the airport.
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“My administration is committed to keeping asylum-seekers safe as we work to help them achieve independence,” Pritzker said in a statement. “We will not proceed with housing families on a site where serious environmental concerns are still present. My administration remains committed to a data-driven plan to improve the asylum-seeker response and we will continue to coordinate with the City of Chicago as we work to expand available shelter through winter.”
A highly anticipated 800-page environmental assessment, compiled by the city’s contractor, Terracon Consultants, found “concerns related to insufficient soil sampling and remediation” at the vacant lot Johnson selected, located in Southwest Side's Brighton Park neighborhood.
Despite the scathing report, Johnson’s administration said the lot was safe to build on as temporary shelter, so long as contaminated soil was removed and a barrier covered the whole property.
Yet Pritzker rejected Johnson’s plans after the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency conducted a “thorough review” of the environmental report.
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"IEPA would not approve the proposed Brighton Park site for residential use, based on our regulatory standards for remediation of contaminated properties," Illinois EPA Director John Kim said in a statement. "The well-being of residents and workers at the site is our highest priority, and current and planned site conditions do not adequately reduce risks of human exposure to known and potential environmental conditions."
The state was set to allocate $65 million in funding for the Brighton Park site, housing up to 2,000 immigrants as a winterized base camp. The city has not indicated what will happen to the land or how much construction and clean-up has already cost.