LVEJO - Park Facilities Events

March 17: Latino Leadership Briefing On Global Warming
Download "NLCCC-Chicago Leadership Briefing" PDF

April 1: Fossil Fools Day Foolery

LVEJO hosts Larry Lohman

with 4 pictures

The City of Chicago owns the vacant land south of 31st Street from Millard to Homan.

Except along 31st street, the square block from 31st to 32nd St. and Millard to Central Park was residential, there where houses there. Along 31st Street there was a truck warehouse. The vacant land east of Central Park, across from Los Globos Night Club, used to be the Crown Cork and Seal Factory. It was sold to the City of Chicago and torn down in 1995.

What about air pollution?

In 1994 parents, neighbors and the Gary local school council opposed building a new school at 31st & Millard. The City of Chicago Public Building Commission (PBC) agreed to test the air for pollution. The June, 1994 study showed high levels of 6 chemicals. The results were presented to the community and the parents of Gary School voted 494 to 2 not to build the school there.

Is the air pollution any different now, over 6 years later?

When the study was done in June, 1994 the Crown, Cork and Seal factory at 31st & Central Park was open and working 3 shifts every day. The factory is now torn down. Meyer Steel Drum, the other factory, is now covered by international, federal and state air rules that did not exist in 1994.

Why do the City of Chicago Planning Department, the Chicago Park District and Alderman Ricardo Muñoz now say the land is an environmental risk for a park?

The City of Chicago Department of Planning CitySpace Program knew about the 1994 air study and said it would recommend the site for a park in 1998 when they came out and saw the land at 31st & Central Park. They say Little Village needs 101 acres of park space. The Chicago Park District knew about the 1994 air study and said in 1997 and 1998 at a public meeting in Gary School it would recommend the site for a park if the city took out the underground storage tank and foundation left by Crown, Cork and Seal. In 1999 the Chicago Park District built an extension to Pilsen's Dvorak Park to Cermak Road, right across the street from the Fisk coal-burning electrical plant. The amount of air pollution and danger from a fire and explosion are much greater there than at 31st & Central Park. Alderman Muñoz has known about the 1994 air study since 1994. Yet in 1997, 1998 and 1999 he tried to convince the Board of the Pilsen YMCA and Chicago Park District to build a park and YMCA on the land at 31st & Central Park. If the City of Chicago and Alderman Muñoz now say 31st & Central Park is too risky to build a park on why do they want to build a huge plastics factory there? Are they going to buy everyone's house who lives across the street and move us to a safer neighborhood? The factory will add dozens of diesel trucks every day, noise and air pollution to a neighborhood where thousands of us live across the street. Little Village already has more diesel truck traffic than almost anyplace in Chicago. Our air is the third worst in the city.

Why not build a park at 31st & Kedzie where Washburne Trade School is?

The Park District says it can't build a park at 31st & Central Park due to "surrounding industrial uses". Yet David Doig, Park District Superintendent and Alderman Muñoz both say Washburne Trade School at 31st & Kedzie is a site for a park. The area around Washburne is more industrial than 31st & Central Park. Over 1000 trucks a day go by the site up and down Kedzie Ave. The air pollution from those trucks is far worse at 31st & Kedzie than 31st & Central Park. People's asthma could get worse playing outside at a park there. Washburne Trade School is filled with asbestos, lead and many toxic chemicals. To tear it down and clean it up will cost millions of dollars. There is no money committed to do that now.

What about a park at 31st & Sacramento or 31st & Kostner?

The City Department of Planning said the Celotex site at 31st & Sacramento could be a park. That land is filled with toxic chemicals called PAH's. The United States government has been talking to the company for 5 years and still has no plan to clean up the land. A high school is supposed to be built at 31st & Kostner. It is a good idea to build a park there too if there is room. But that is 1 block from Piotrowski Park and doesn't help most of the people in Little Village who live east of Pulaski and need a park they can walk to.

Are there other places to build the plastics factory?

Yes, there is an industrial park at 35th & 36th street west of Pulaski with lots of open land filled with truck/train trailers. There is even more space in Pilsen south of Blue Island Ave., between Western and Ashland Ave. No factory should be built anywhere in Chicago across the street from where people live. The City Department of Environment admits that Meyer Steel Drum was built years ago next to and across the street from where people live because of old zoning rules. Mayor Daley is having hearings all over the city this month proposing new zoning rules. One proposal is not to build new houses next to factories. Does this mean its OK to build new factories next to houses?? Or does that only happen in communities of color, like Little Village?

Why do we need more public land here in Little Village?

The city says we need 101 acres of land for parks, 2-3 more elementary schools, 1-2 new high schools and 1-2 new libraries. All of these must be built on public land. Other people in the city want all open land to be used for industry. We can't have both on the same pieces of land. Do we think we need more parks, schools and libraries? Or do we only want more factories and no more parks, schools or libraries? There is some room for factories, but only in areas where no one lives nearby.

What does Democracy mean?

We think it means the majority of people have a right to decide what we want. Over 3000 people say they want a park, not a factory at 31st & Central Park. No one has signed a petition in favor of a factory at 31st & Central Park. On September 18th, 2000, City of Chicago Deputy Commissioner of Planning Bill Trumbull wrote a letter to Alderman Muñoz saying that meetings were held in June, 1999 and February, 2000 to decide what to do with the land at 31st & Central Park. He says: "As a result of these meetings, the Department of Planning and Development is preparing to sell the land to an industrial user." How many people who live and work in Little Village even knew about these meetings? How many of us were invited to the meetings?

Now the city changed the zoning on part of the land. The land belongs to us, the taxpayers, not to a plastics factory, give the company tax breaks and low interest loans without even asking us. That's not democracy. That's a dictatorship. That's racist! Democracy and Justice Now! Fight for the Park, Our Children, Our Families and Our Lives!

LVEJO Fire Watch

October 1996---Plasticycle and Pro Plastics in Eau Claire, Iowa

April 1997---Modern Plastic Recovery in Haviland, Ohio

June 1997---Plastics company in El Paso, Texas

July 1997---Plasimet in Hamilton, Canada

July 1997---Micro Pulverizing Plant in Lockport, New York

September 1997---American Commodities Inc in Flint, Michigan

September 1997---Amigo Bag in Oakland, California

January 1998---Plastics Connections and Recycling Inc in Hartsville, South Carolina

October 1998---Polymers Supply Co in Emporia, North Carolina

March 2000--- Ponz Recycling Industries in Cleveland, Ohio

April 2000---Arrow Performance Plastics in Adrian, Michigan

April 2000---B&B Recycling in Fontana, California

October 2000---MBA Polymers Inc. in Richmond, California

October 1996: EAU CLAIRE, IOWA, Both the Plasticycle and Pro Plastics companies were destroyed by a fire so hot that copper flowed like taffy and evidence that would have helped to determine the cause of the fire was lost in the flames.

April 1997: HAVILAND, OHIO, Fire destroyed the Modern Plastic Recovery facility, a plastics recycling operation, and forced the evacuation of an entire village because of a thick, black, low-lying smoke.

June 1997: EL PASO, TEXAS, Huge warehouse fire released dangerous gases and pollutants. The warehouse was used for plastics recycling.

July 1997: HAMILTON, CANADA, The Plasmitet fire was one of Canada's worst industrial toxic fires. It burned for 4 days, releasing 200 tons of burned vinyl, zinc, lead, and other metals in water runoff, and toxic fumes from polyvinyl chloride, a plastic used in home building materials. There was concern about dioxins and hydrogen chloride, benzene, toluene, furans, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), most of which are known or suspected carcinogens. Residents were evacuated and bans were placed on eating locally grown leafy vegetables. Several people reported to hospitals and medical offices with complaints of skin, throat, and eye irritation. Both the owner and operator of the site were sentenced to make restitution payments and perform community service. This fire appears to have contributed nearly 5% of all toxic air releases for Canada in 1997.

July 1997: LOCKPORT, NEW YORK, Fire and a later explosion destroyed 1/3 of the Micro Pulverizing Plant, forcing the evacuation of about 100 homes within a ½ mile radius and knocked out power to 178 residents. The evacuations of homes were prompted by the fear that 22 pallets of the chemical hexamethylenetetramine would become quickly heated and pose a deadly risk. Hexamethylenetetramine, when quickly heated, breaks down into a deadly poison that is absorbed through the skin. It also breaks down into formaldehyde gas, which is carcinogenic.

September 1997: FLINT, MICHIGAN, A fire at plastics recycler American Commodities Inc. destroyed the firm's warehouse. The company was evacuated and no one was injured. However, the fire caused extensive smoke and water damage to the facility.

September 1997: OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, A six-alarm fire destroyed the Amigo Bag plastics recycling plant, shutting down freeway ramps and major city streets, forcing the evacuation of nearby homes and businesses, and sending aloft fumes of noxious smoke that was visible across the bay. The company recycled polyethylene for the packaging industry. People were treated for both smoke inhalation and foreign materials in the eyes.

January 1998: HARTSVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, Plastics Connections and Recycling Inc was destroyed-heaps of plastic, scrap metal, machinery and computers melted in the inferno, which could be

October 1998: EMPORIA, NORTH CAROLINA, A fire at Polymers Supply Co., a rubber and plastic recycling business sent a plume of black smoke drifting for miles into North Carolina. Several families downwind of the blaze temporarily fled their homes to escape the foul smoke.

March 2000: CLEVELAND, OHIO, Fire at Ponz Recycling Industries released polystyrene emissions into the atmosphere, as well as destroyed most of the equipment inside the building. It reached 400,000 pounds of processed post-industrial plastics.

April 2000: ADRIAN, MICHIGAN, Fire in storage yard of Arrow Performance Plastics, which recycles plastic automotive parts. The fire emitted a thick black smoke. Residents to the west of the site were asked to close their windows and stay indoors to avoid contact with the smoke. Some of the residents were evacuated as well.

April 2000: FONTANA, CALIFORNIA, B&B Recycling facility and 3 other nearby businesses were destroyed because of a fire caused by the careless use of smoking materials. The fire generated a thick black smoke that could be seen miles away.

October 2000: RICHMOND, CALIFORNIA, Explosion and fire at the Advanced Plastics Recycling Pilot Line Facility of the MBA Polymers Inc. It resulted in 1 death and greater than 200 injured persons. Injuries included eye and throat irritation, as well as headache. Shelter-in-place warnings were issued, businesses were shut down, and 12 schools downwind of the fire in Richmond and San Pablo were closed due to the toxic black smoke emitted by the fire. The fumes contained some of the byproducts of burning plastic, including benzene, toluene, xylene, and butane, all of which can be very toxic. The fire was found to release toxic airborne particles in quantities that were 1/4 of the toxicity level set by the California EPA. Since it fell under these limits, it was assumed that there would be no harmful long-term effects from these exposures. The aim of this company was to develop and demonstrate advanced mechanical technologies for plastics, and so stored many potentially toxic but effective chemicals on site. However, it was not required to file any air permits for these chemicals or processes.

Last year 4,000 of us said WE HAVE A RIGHT TO DECIDE what will happen to the 11 acres of public land at 31st & Central Park. We said "Yes, build the plastics factory , but at 35th & Pulaski where no one lives, where there is plenty of open space, and where it is better for the factory's trucks since it is closer to the Stevenson Expressway". But Mayor Daley, the City's department of Planning, City Council, and Alderman Munoz didn't listen: they voted to sell the land to MRC Plastics in November 2000.

SO WHY IS THERE NO NEW PLASTICS FACTORY?

Because:
-We signed petitions, marched had press conferences, testified in city council, met with Bishop Manz, AND UNITED FOR JUSTICE DIGNITY AND DEMOCRACY!
-The City of Chicago still owns the land: it is public land, not private
-The City Council never passed $7 million in bonds to build the factory
-The City nor MRC Polymers have sent a plan to cleanup the land to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA)
-Prima Plastics (part of MRC) has been grinding plastics without an air permit at 33rd & Lawndale

That means: the land still belongs to us: the public!
-We pay the taxes for the land
- Our children, families and neighbors need the land to stay public
-We have the right to decide how the land should be used:
-For a park, school, library and or day care center

In order to win a victory we must keep on fighting!

More tree's were planted on the 11 acre site as the first trees began to bloom beautifully. Many community resident's were volunteering to keep the park clean and water the trees. Soccer games were regularly scheduled for the weekends as people flocked to the park for celebrations, picnics, and playing.

CLASA's Club Mexico held there first soccer game on the field with the community proudly cheering on. Community residents began using the park for picnic's and playing. A great sense of pride and achievement was felt around the neighborhood as people began to make use of the "People's park".

Little Village residents began the first clean up of the 11 acre property. Over the coarse of two Saturday's garbage was collected and rocks and gravel removed and evened out. Through community planning meetings a idea emerged for a soccer field to be created on the empty land. Trees were planted to help beautify the "People's Park" and wood chips were donated by Community members to help with the soccer field. Older residents with agriculture experience stepped in and took the lead in teaching how to plant the tree's. LVEJO volunteers called upon friends and family from all over the City to come out and help.

Community Residents, LVEJO Members and volunteers March to and Protest at MRC's Sister Company Prima Plastics located on 34th and Lawndale. Residents made signs asking why and who would want to put a factory directly in front of people's home? Many residents and members began bringing and recruiting more neighbors to join in the battle. Key leaders were starting to emerge and organize there own blocks to take action.

LVEJO volunteers, community residents and local artists & muralist work together to bring attention to the 11 acre site. The artist and muralist worked together to create two beautiful murals in protest of stealing of the public land. Volunteer's built and set up the murals on the corner of 31st and Central Park for public display. The Little Village community responds with beeping of there horns in agreement, coming out to help, and attending future meetings and events.

LVEJO's Youth Group attend a City Wide protest at City Hall against Youth Discrimination in Jobs, Schools, Programs, City Funding and in Police Targeting. Over 200 youth attended this protest and asked for a chance to work with the city in helping give them an option aside from gangs and jail. LVEJO works with the youth to help promote more after-school programs and deal with the the generalities that are placed on them.

Little Village residents hold a peaceful demonstration through our neighborhood to protest the sale of our public land. LVEJO has received the support of the entire Little Village Cluster of 7 Catholic Churches. As part of that network other community organizations and residents of the Chicagoland area have joined in the struggle of the people for democracy in community development.

22nd ward Alderman, Ricardo Muñoz, promising 30 Little Village neighbors to support the building of a park at 31st & Central Park. In fact, Deputy Commissioner William Trumbull of the City of Chicago Department of Planning and Alderman Muñoz had been negotiating to sell that same public land to MRC Plastics since November, 1999!

LVEJO hosts Larry Lohman

with 4 pictures