Judge sides with General Iron
On June 1, Administrative Judge Mitchell Ex overruled the Chicago Department of Public Health’s (CDPH’s) decision to deny an operating permit requested by Reserve Management Group, the parent company of Southside Recycling (formerly General Iron). This decision comes after protests in previous years and a month-long hunger strike placed intense pressure on the company’s attempt to move a scrap metal recycling facility from Lincoln Park to the Southeast Side, an area already burdened by air pollution and industrial development. The new mayoral administration disagrees with the judge’s decision. “My administration stands firmly behind CDPH’s permit denial and the comprehensive review that led to it. We will immediately appeal the administrative judge’s ruling and continue our fight to uphold our authority under the law to make decisions that protect the environment, health, and quality-of-life for residents of the 10th ward and all environmental justice communities,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson in a statement.
Urban Grower’s Collective to host pop-up farmers markets
The Black- and women-led nonprofit farm, which is “working to build a more just and equitable local food system,” will be relaunching its traveling farmers market this month. The Fresh Moves Mobile Market, essentially a bus filled with produce from their farm in South Chicago, will make stops in different neighborhoods Monday through Friday, and accepts cash, debit and credit cards, and Link/SNAP. The Collective is also running a farm stand at their South Chicago farm, at 9001 S. Mackinaw Ave, Wednesdays and Thursdays 4-7pm, and Saturdays 9am-4pm. For a full list of locations, days, and times where the bus will be stopping, check out: urbangrowerscollective.org/fresh-moves-mobile-market
Migrants are moved to Daley College
The City has moved forward with busing about 400 migrants from a shuttered YMCA on the North Side to Daley College at 76th and Pulaski, which started housing asylum seekers this month until the end of summer. The decision was postponed a couple of times due to a combination of public pushback and many migrants not feeling comfortable being moved across the city after they were becoming acquainted with the area. Local alderwoman Jeylú Gutierrez said the mayor’s office only shared minimal details with her, but welcomed the newcomers to the ward. The arrangement is meant to be a short-term solution, according to Johnson’s administration, with one of the immediate goals being to relieve pressure from police stations.