Chicago Department of Public Health
Southside Recycling Asks EPA, City Officials To Tour Completed Metal Shredder Ahead Of Permit Decision
With the city expected to decide next month whether to approve the Southeast Side shredder, the company asked the mayor, the city health commissioner and the head of the EPA to see the site.
Syphilis Outbreak On Far South Side Being Investigated By City Health Department
Cases of syphilis citywide jumped 13 percent from 2019 to 2020, according to the Chicago Department of Public Health. Data from this year is incomplete, but five cases have been recorded in Roseland since September.
City Plan To Plant More Trees In Black And Latino Areas Could Improve Public Health, Crime, West Siders Say
The city earmarked $46 million to plant thousands of trees in areas lacking greenery. Neighborhood environmental groups say the investment will benefit the environment and help tackle racial equity issues.
SE Side Is ‘Overburdened’ With Pollution Amid Metal Scrapper Fight, Air Quality Report Says — But It’s Below EPA Benchmark For Concern
The findings come as activists continue to pressure the Chicago Department of Public Health to reject plans for Southside Recycling, a controversial metal scrapper planned for East Side.
Opioid-Related Deaths Still High After A Brutal 2020 — And The West Side Remains The Epicenter Of The Crisis
Black communities continue to be hit hard by opioid deaths. Community groups are saving lives, but officials say big policy changes are needed to prevent more deaths.
To Combat Crime, City Launches Central ‘Nerve Center’ To Bring Violence Prevention Programs Under One Roof
The Community Safety and Coordination Center will be a centralized hub for programs that impact safety across all city departments.
Building On General Iron Owner’s Property Collapsed With Asbestos Inside — But The Company Didn’t Tell The City For Months
The asbestos doesn't pose an immediate health risk, officials said. The city will cite Reserve Management Group, which is suing to open a fifth scrapper on-site, for building and health code violations.
Southside Recycling Sues City Again To Open In East Side — Just Days After Federal Judge Rejected Similar Suit
The planned metal scrapper's new lawsuit, like its prior suit, seeks more than $100 million in damages and a permit allowing the facility to open on the Southeast Side.
New Police Program Helps People On Drugs Get Substance Use Treatment Instead Of Jail Time
The Narcotics Arrest Diversion program was launched at a West Side police district in 2018. Soon, it'll be citywide. "It has long been obvious that we cannot arrest and jail our way out of this."
West Side Teens Who Created Austin Harvest Aim To Make It A Year-Round Fresh Market
The teen-led Austin Harvest project has reopened its fresh markets on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The youth want to make it available year-round.
Racism Is A Public Health Crisis, Mayor Lori Lightfoot Declares
The mayor's declaration follows a report that showed Black Chicagoans suffer massive health disparities rooted in historic inequities.
After EPA Told Chicago To Halt South Side Metal Scrapper Permit, General Iron’s Owner Sues City For $100 Million
Southside Recycling is suing the city, alleging officials broke their agreement to help move General Iron’s operations to East Side.
Federal Judge Rules Against Southeast Siders, Won’t Force City To Deny Metal Scrapper’s Permit
Residents sued to try to block General Iron's owner from setting up shop in East Side as Southside Recycling, but the federal court ruling effectively ends the legal battle.
The City Won’t Say When It Will Make A Decision On Controversial Southeast Side Metal Scrapper’s Permit
It's a high-stakes decision, as Southeast Side residents and environmental activists have repeatedly called on the city to deny Southside Recycling its final permit.
City Defends Oversight Of Vaccine Distribution Process Despite Scandals At Loretto, Innovative Express Care
Despite multiple issues with providers vaccinating ineligible people, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city has done a good job at overseeing the vaccination rollout.
City Delays Decision On Permit For Controversial Southeast Side Metal Scrapper
Southside Recycling twice has applied for a permit to open at 11600 S. Burley Ave. City officials now say they want to assess the environmental effects of the proposed facility and four others already operating at the same site.
Judge Could Temporarily Block Southeast Side Metal Scrapper As Soon As Next Month
The lawsuit filed by Southeast Side residents accuses city officials of "environmental racism" when they issued Southside Recycling the first permit to open in East Side.
Month-Long Hunger Strike To Stop Southeast Side Metal Scrapper Ends Near Lightfoot’s Home — But The Fight Continues
Strikers were joined by more than 100 supporters as they gathered near Mayor Lori Lightfoot's home and marched to pressure the city to deny Southside Recycling's bid to open in East Side.
With Limited Internet Access, Elderly Chicagoans Struggle To Get Vaccinated — Even With ‘A Village’ Of Relatives Helping Them
Liz King, who lives in South Carolina, said her multi-state struggle to find a vaccination appointment for her elderly loved one left her concerned older Chicagoans are being "discounted, ignored and set aside in the whole vaccination shuffle."
City’s Push To Permit Scrapper In Over-Polluted Southeast Side Is ‘Disgusting,’ Activists Say — And Now They’re On A Hunger Strike To Stop It
Oscar Sanchez, Breanna Bertacchi and Chuck Stark say they will go without food "for the long haul" to block Southside Recycling from opening in the 10th Ward, which is already overburdened with pollution from various industries.
