FINALIZED PLAN ON THE LIBRARY'S LOCATION.

PARIS.

>>> BRANDIS, A RECENT WATCHDOG REPORTS FIND CITY OFFICIALS COULD AND SHOULD HAVE PREVENTED A BOTCHED SMOKESTACK IMPLOSION IN THE LITTLE VILLAGE.

IT'S REKINDLING COMPENSATIONS ABOUT THE ROLE OF INDUSTRY IN CHICAGO NEIGHBORHOODS, AND WHERE ACCOUNTABILITY LIES WHEN VIOLATIONS LIKE THIS HAPPEN.

AND JOINING US, OUR HOWARD WERNICK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND POLICY CENTER.

KIM WASSERMAN, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE LITTLE VILLAGE ENVIRONMENTAL DRUGS THIS ORGANIZATION.

AND WE ALSO INVITED THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, BUT THE ISSUE A STATEMENT TO US INSTEAD CALLED THE IMPLOSION, QUOTE, AN UNACCEPTABLE VENT, AND WENT ON TO SAY CONTRACTOR NEGLIGENCE AND FAILURES LED TO THE DUST CLOUD THAT CREATED FEAR AND TRAUMA IN LITTLE VILLAGE.

THIS ADMINISTRATION TOOK SWIFT PUBLIC ACTION TO HOLD THOSE RESPONSIBLE ACCOUNTABLE.

SINCE THAT TIME, THE CITY HAS SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED EFFORTS TO PROTECT COMMUNITY FROM ENVIRONMENTAL HARM , AND YOU CAN READ THERE FULL STATEMENT ON OUR WEBSITE.

AND WE DO THINK THE TWO OF YOU FOR BEING HERE.

HOWARD LEARNER, WHEN HE FOUND THE REPORT ABOUT THE REPORT, BECAUSE THIS REPORT IS UNDER WRAPS, BUT WE DID GET AN ADVANCE COPY OF IT, WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION?

>> THIS IS A COMMUNITY TRAGEDY THAT COULD'VE BEEN AVOIDED.

AND WHAT THE REPORT SAYS IS CITY OFFICIALS DIDN'T DO WHAT THEY SHOULD'VE DONE.

THE PERMITTING PROCESS DIDN'T WORK WHITE.

THE RESULT OF THAT WAS COMMUNITY RESIDENTS HAD CLOUDS OF DUST AND SUCH.

THEY WEREN'T GIVEN PROPER NOTICE.

HEALTH IMPACTS OCCURRED.

THE CONTRACTORS APPARENTLY DIDN'T DO WHAT THEY WANTED TO DO.

THEY WERE FINED.

THEY PAID HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FINES.

THE RIGHT PEOPLE NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE HERE WHO DIDN'T DO THEIR JOBS RIGHT.

>> THE FOLKS IN THE CITY.

>> IN THE CITY, AND THE CONTRACTORS.

AND MOST IMPORTANT, WE CAN'T RUN THE WAY BACK MACHINE AND UNDO WHAT HAPPENED, BUT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT REALLY WHAT HAPPENED.

THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW.

THAT SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT.

AND THE LESSONS LEARNED, THINGS SHOULD BE FIXED WITHIN THE SYSTEM SO THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN IN LITTLE VILLAGE OR ANY OTHER PLACE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>> KIM WASSERMAN, TAKE US BACK TO THAT DAY.

WHAT WAS THAT EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR THE RESIDENTS, AND WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS IN LITTLE VILLAGE TO THIS DAY?

>> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION, AND I CAN SAY THAT THIS REPORT DEFINITELY HAS TAKEN MANY OF US BACK TO THAT DAY, UNFORTUNATELY, AND IT'S A REMINDER OF EXACTLY WHAT WE DO, WHICH IS THAT THE SYSTEM IS NOT BUILT TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS.

AND WHAT WAS MORE IMPORTANT WAS THIS COMPANY BEING ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND MOVE THE PROJECTS FORWARD THAN THE PROTECTION OF OUR HEALTH AS A COMMUNITY.

I'M CURRENTLY SITTING , FINISHING UP A COMMUNITY MEETING HERE IN OUR OFFICES TODAY IN WHICH FOLKS ARE TALKING ABOUT HOW THIS IS RE-TRAUMATIZING FOR THEM, HOW IT'S A REMINDER OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM IN CHICAGO STILL BEING VERY REAL , AND STILL, AND OUR COMMUNITIES , COMMUNITIES OF COLOR, COMMUNITIES STILL BEING SACRIFICED .

NOT JUST FOR SYSTEMS THAT DON'T WORK, BUT FOR STAFFERS THAT ARE CHOOSING TO NOT DO THEIR JOBS PROPERLY.

>> HOWARD LEARNER, YOU DIMENSION NO REAL REPERCUSSIONS AT THE CITY LEVEL .

FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, IS THERE MORE THAT CAN AND SHOULD BE DONE TO HOLD THESE FOLKS ACCOUNTABLE?

>> YOU KNOW, WELL YOU'VE REPORTED ON THE INSPECTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, IT HASN'T BEEN RELEASED.

AND IT SHOULD BE RELEASED.

THE PUBLIC MIGHT BE ENTITLED TO THAT SORT OF TRANSPARENCY.

WE OUGHT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, WHO DID WHAT, WHO'S RESPONSIBLE , AND GET THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM THIS SO THE SYSTEM GETS FIXED.

YOU KNOW, MORE IMPORTANTLY THAN WHATEVER ACTIONS ARE TAKEN AT SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS IS MAKING SURE THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN .

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THE CITY OF CHICAGO HAS DEMOLITION THAT OCCUR, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR.

IT HAPPENS IN A LOT OF COMMUNITIES .

LITTLE VILLAGE AND ELSEWHERE.

AND THIS SYSTEM BROKE DOWN.

THAT'S PRETTY CLEAR FROM THE REPORT, AS YOU'VE BEEN REPORTING IT.

AND THAT'S GOT TO GET FIXED.

THAT MEANS EVERYBODY NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED , AND THEN WHAT ARE THE STEPS THAT ARE BEING TAKEN TO FIX IT SO WE DON'T GET INTO THAT AGAIN.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND MAKE IT FIXED , IMPROVEMENT FOR THE FUTURE.

SO THAT THE PUBLIC GETS THE SORT OF PROTECTIONS THAT THE PUBLIC SHOULD GET , ESPECIALLY IN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES.

>> AND KIM WASSERMAN, THIS IS BEEN A FIGHT FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION, YOUR COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME, BECAUSE OF ALL THE INDUSTRY AROUND THERE, AND LET'S REMIND OUR VIEWERS THAT WAS IMPLODED TO MAKE WAY FOR A GIANT TRUCKING WAREHOUSE FACILITY.

SO TELL US WHAT'S THERE NOW, AND ARE THINGS BETTER IN THE COMMUNITY ENVIRONMENTALLY AS A RESULT?

>> UNFORTUNATELY, NO.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE HOUSING ONE OF THE LARGEST WAREHOUSES IN THE CITY OF CHICAGO, WITH HUNDREDS OF TRUCKS FOR THE WAREHOUSE COMING IN AND OUT.

AND SO WE HAVE LITERALLY REPLACED THE COAL BURNING EMISSIONS, THE COAL BURNING POWER PLANT EMISSIONS WITH EQUAL TRUCK OMISSIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND STILL NO ANSWERS ON WHAT WAS IN THE DUST PLUME.

NO ANSWERS ON WHAT WAS LEFT RESIDUAL HE IN OUR SOIL.

NO KIND OF CONVERSATION ON PETS AND OUR CLEANUP IN OUR COMMUNITIES SINCE THE IMPLOSION, AND I THINK IT'S A DIRECT -- IT SHOWS YOU, TO OUR OPINION, THAT THE SYSTEM, WITH THIS ADMINISTRATION, CANNOT BE FIXED.

BECAUSE WE'RE STILL BEING SACRIFICED UNDER THE NAME OF INDUSTRIAL PROFIT.

WE'RE STILL LOOKED AT AS A SACRIFICE.

OUR PEOPLE ARE STILL EXPENDABLE TO THE CITY OF CHICAGO, AND WE'RE CONCERNED THAT THE CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE CITY OF CHICAGO AND OUR MAYOR ARE SAYING, BUT, OH, BUT THINGS HAVE BEEN FIXED.

HOW HAVE THEY BEEN FIXED?

WHAT ROLE HAS OUR COMMUNITY PLAYED IN THIS BEING FIXED?

HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT REPLACING SNAPPERS WITH DIFFERENT SNAPPERS, THE SAME THING ISN'T GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN?

SO I APPRECIATE HOWARD USING THE TERM ACCOUNTABILITY, AND ALSO ANOTHER ONE, TRANSPARENCY.

THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS TALKED A LOT ABOUT THAT.

BUT THAT HAS VERY LITTLE DONE TO SHOW THAT THINGS CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN , AND I'LL MAKE THE CONNECTION TO, THIS ISN'T JUST A QUESTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM AND FOLKS BEING LEFT OUT.

IF YOU LOOK AT OUR SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLS BEING SHUT DOWN, YOU CAN LOOK AT MENTAL HEALTH CLINICS AND THOSE BEING SHUT DOWN.

YOU CAN LOOK AT THE POLICING BUDGET.

TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WE ARE SEEING THIS ADMINISTRATION CLAIM ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY, BUT TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THIS VERY CLEAR DEMAND OF WHAT THE RESIDENTS