>> A CONTROVERSIAL MIGRANT SHELTER AT 38 IN CALIFORNIA IN THE BRIGHTON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD WILL BEGIN CONSTRUCTION THIS WEEK THAT DESPITE THE OBJECTIONS OF LOCAL ALDERMAN, THE LOCAL ALDERMAN AND MANY RESIDENTS AMONG THOSE OBJECTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT TOXIC METALS FOUND AT THE SITE.

JOINING US TO DISCUSS THE MOVE, OUR ANTHONY MOSER, A FOUNDING MEMBER OF NEIGHBORS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND ANY GOMBERG LEAD ORGANIZER OF DISTRICT 15 FOR THE POLICE STATION RESPONSE TEAM AN ANTHONY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US.

SO IN THE YOUR ORGANIZATION, YOU'VE RAISED CONCERNS CONTAMINATED AT THE SITE.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS?

>> YEAH, TO BE OUR GO BEYOND THE SOIL CONTAMINATION THIS SITE, OF COURSE, WAS HISTORICALLY A FREIGHT TERMINAL AND THERE WAS A SINK SMELTER.

SO IT'S NOT SURPRISING THAT THE CITY FOUND EVIDENCE OF METAL CONTAMINATION.

WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT RELEASE THAT INFORMATION BUT WE HAD ACTUALLY ALREADY IDENTIFIED IT AS SOMETHING THAT WAS JUST ON THE BASES BEING A PLAN TO ALL OF PEOPLE ON A TRUCK LOT BY THE HIGHWAY.

>> IN THE INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR.

IN THE CARE OF MILITARY THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT AS FAR AS THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE LACK OF SAFETY.

>> YOU OF COURSE, THE CONTRACTORS OR THE COMPANY THAT HAS BEEN UNDER SOME CONTROVERSY TO CONSTRUCT THIS SITE.

WHAT ARE YOU CALLING FOR?

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THE CITY DO?

>> WE'RE CALLING FOR THE MAYOR TO CANCEL THE THERE ARE PROVISIONS IN THE GUARD WILL CONTRACT THAT ALLOWS AND TERMINATED AT ANY TIME WE THINK THAT IT THERE'S NO WAY TO THE CITY IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THIS WITH VENDORS AND VOLUNTEERS.

WE NEED TO REBUILD THE CITY'S CAPACITY TO CARE FOR ITS RESIDENTS.

WHETHER THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN HERE ALL THEIR LIVES OR IF THEY JUST ARRIVED TODAY.

AND WE THINK THIS KIND OF APPROACH OF, YOU KNOW, FARMING EVERYTHING OUT, I'M RATHER YOU KNOW, BUILDING REAL CAPACITY IS A PART OF THE PROBLEM.

>> ANDY, YOU TALKED PREVIOUSLY ABOUT THE NEED FOR MIGRANT PROTECTIONS IN THIS PLAN.

WHAT KIND OF PROTECTIONS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE?

>> WHAT WE'VE UNFORTUNATELY HAVE TRACK RECORD OF THE CITY'S SHELTERS BEING INADEQUATE FOR HOUSING.

SO THE FAMILIES THAT THE FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS THAT WE KNOW THAT IS LEFT POLICE STATIONS AND GONE TO SHELTERS.

SOME OF THEM.

IT'S GOING OK, BUT A LOT OF THEM ARE MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE SHELTERS.

AND I THINK THAT THIS WOULD WOULD BE MORE OF THE SAME AND PERHAPS EVEN MORE DAMAGING GIVEN SOME OF THE INFORMATION WE KNOW ABOUT HOW THE CONTRACT IS STRUCTURED AND HOW WILL BE ORGANIZED AND RUN MISTER MOSHER SAID WITH THIS CONTRACT BEING COMPLETELY SORT OF A CLOSED SYSTEM.

I THINK WE'RE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WILL BE GOING ON AT POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS SIGHT AND OPERATIVES THAT DON'T REALLY ANSWER THE CONSTITUENCY THAT THEY'RE SERVING IN ANY REAL WAY.

>> MAYOR ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS EARLIER TODAY ABOUT HIS ADMINISTRATION'S APPROACH TO THIS SITE.

HERE IS WHAT HE SAID.

>> YOU'VE ASKED ABOUT ARE WE STILL MOVING FORWARD?

BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE BEEN AND MINISTRY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING.

THE ALDERS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING.

AND AS WE'VE ASSESSED, WE'VE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE ASSESSMENT.

NOTHING CHANGED.

AND ONCE THAT FULL REPORT IS AVAILABLE BY END OF THE WEEK, EVERYONE WILL HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

THERE IS NO INFORMATION THAT IS AVAILABLE THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE.

>> NOW THE MAYOR LAYER LATER ADDED THAT WITHOUT THESE ASSESSMENTS, NO ONE WOULD HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THE TOXIC MATERIALS AT THE ANTHONY, WHAT'S YOUR RESPONSE TO >> I SO ACTUALLY NEIGHBORS IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT THE HISTORICAL INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY ON SITE AND FLAGGED IT TO REPORTERS WHO THEN ASKED CITY HALL AND IT WAS ONLY AFTER THAT HAPPENED THAT WE STARTED TO SEE ANY MENTION OF THE CITY CONDUCTING ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS.

SO I DON'T THINK THAT THIS A REFLECTION OF DILIGENCE ON THEIR PART AS FAR AS THE QUESTION OF KIND OF TRANSPARENCY AND PEOPLE KNOWING WHAT'S HAPPENING, I MEAN, I LIVE HERE AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING AND THEY HAVE NOT ANNOUNCED ANY PART OF THIS MOMENTARILY.

THEY DID NOT ANNOUNCE WHEN THEY SIGNED THE GUARD WILL CONTRACT.

THEY DIDN'T ANNOUNCE WHEN START TO LOOK AT THE SITE.

THEY DIDN'T ANNOUNCE WHEN THEY SIGNED A CONTRACT TO RENT THEY DIDN'T ANNOUNCE WHEN THEY FOUND WHATEVER TOXIC METAL THEY FOUND IN THE SOIL, WHICH WE STILL DON'T BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T RELEASED IT.

>> AND THE MAYOR SAYS THAT THAT REPORT IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED LATER THIS WEEK.

BUT WE'RE ALREADY REPORTING THAT CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO START AS SOON AS TOMORROW.

SO IS A REPORT LATER THIS WEEK THAT SOON ENOUGH WHEN CONSTRUCTION COULD ALREADY BE UNDER WAY.

AND SEE YOU'RE NODDING YOUR HEAD.

GET THAT INTO YOU.

>> YEAH, I THINK THAT IT SEEMS.

I MEAN, I KNOW THAT.

THE MAYOR'S SPOKEN ABOUT EXPEDIENCY BUT NEEDED TO MOVE FORWARD.

THAT WINTER IS COMING FAST AND YOU KNOW, I UNFORTUNATELY WE DO HAVE THE PROBLEM WHERE, YOU KNOW, TIME TIME DOES MOVE FORWARD.

THIS IS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.

BUT FOR THOSE OF US THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS, IT TOO LITTLE TOO LATE TO SAY, OH, WAIT, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IN THIS WE WE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS FOR MORE TO HOUSE THOSE POPULATION.

AND RIGHT NOW WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS POTENTIALLY VERY DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCE FOR THIS VERY LARGE, VERY VULNERABLE PEOPLE.

THIS IS A HUGE FACILITY.

I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT.

I THINK WE NEED TO THINK THIS IS NOT A COUPLE 100 PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

THIS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE POTENTIALLY GOING TO BE HOUSED AT THE SITE FOR POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE REPORTING ON THE GARDA WORLD CONTRACT AND THE SET UP OF THE STATUS OF THIS ISN'T COULD BE A VERY PROMINENT LIVING SITUATION.

THAT'S IT'S NOT WHEN YOU TO THE FINISH LINE WHEN YOU HAVE THESE KIND OF THESE KIND OF THAT'S WHEN YOU PAUSE ARE CIRCUMSPECT AND DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE.

>> FRANKLY, GO HAS TO ADD TO THAT.

I THINK HAVING AGAIN, I LIKE I ABOUT 2 BLOCKS FROM MY HOUSE.

AND SO I GO BY THEIR VERY REGULARLY TO KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT'S HAPPENING AND EVEN WHEN THE CITY SAID THEY WERE PERFORMING ASSESSMENTS, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, TRUCKS ON THERE AND THERE WAS ACTIVITY HAPPENING AND IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOIL CONTAMINATION, HAVING A LOT OF HEAVY VEHICLES COMING IN, DIGGING EVERYTHING AND THEN COMING OVER HERE TO LAY EVERYTHING DOWN BEFORE YOU HAVE A FINAL ANSWER ON WHETHER OR NOT IT'S SAFE.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S BEST PRACTICE, BUT I DON'T THINK >> I'M ANTHONY, WHAT WILL YOU BE LOOKING FOR IN THIS REPORT WHEN IT IS AVAILABLE?

>> WELL, FOR STARTERS, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MEDAL THIS IS RIGHT INCAS THAT MERCURY, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS >> I'D LIKE TO KNOW HOW WIDESPREAD THE CONTAMINATION IS.

I'D LIKE TO KNOW.

>> THE STATE BEFORE AN INDUSTRIAL SITE CAN BE USED FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES.

NORMALLY THE STATE WILL HAVE TO ISSUE A LETTER.

THEY CALL FR LETTER FOR NO FURTHER RADIATION REQUIRED AS THE STATE ISSUED.

ONE OF THOSE TO CERTIFY THAT THIS IS SAFE FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE ON.

THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD START TO LOOK FOR JUST TO SEE IF THEY'VE EVEN, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DONE THE BASICS >> AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, TIME IS RUNNING OUT TO FIND A PLACE FOR MIGRANTS.

TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW FREEZING TODAY.

OF COURSE, WINTER IS ALWAYS COMING IN.

CHICAGO.

IS THERE ANOTHER OPTION AT THIS POINT?

SHOULD SOURCE OF THE ADMINISTRATION JUST KEEP MOVING FORWARD OR IS THIS THE LEAST OF THE BAD?

I THINK EVERYONE THAT I WORK WITH ON THIS ISSUE IS VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE THINGS THAT MISTER MOSHER MENTIONED ABOUT MOVING FROM THESE TEMPORARY SOLUTIONS TO BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE.

WE HAVE HAD PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES WITHIN THE LAST 3 YEARS A HALF YEARS WITH COVID.

>> WE NEED TO INVEST IN CITY MONEY TO INVEST IN REAL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE PERMANENT THERE.

AGAIN, THIS IS THERE'S NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN.

WE KNOW ABOUT HOW TO SUPPORT REFUGEE POPULATIONS.

WE KNOW HOW JUST SUPPORT UNHOUSED PEOPLE AND THIS IS NOT THE BEST PART IS PRETTY.

AND CHICAGO'S DIFFERENT THE NEW YORK, CHICAGO IS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER AREAS WE HAVE.

WE HAVE BUILDINGS.

WE HAVE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE.

WE JUST NEED TO MAY.

WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THE SOMEWHAT MESSY AND DIFFICULT PROCESS OF GETTING PEOPLE INTO THAT HOUSE.

THERE'S NEVER SIGNIFICANT WITH THERE.

>> ANY EASY ANSWERS?

OF COURSE, I'M SURE WE'LL ALL BE LOOKING FOR THAT REPORT WE'RE EXPECTING FROM THE MAYOR'S