>> APRIL TWENTY-TWENTY, IT'S THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AND CONCERNS ABOUT RESPIRATORY HEALTH.

TOP OF MIND FOR MONEY.

WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A SUNNY EASTER WEEKEND IN LITTLE VILLAGE WAS INSTANT SHADOWED BY A GRAY CLOUD OF DEBRIS FROM THE DEMOLITION OF THE CRAWFORD POWER PLANT IMPLOSION 4 YEARS AFTER THE BOTCHED IMPLOSION, SOME RESIDENTS ARE RECEIVING A 20 MILLION DOLLAR DOLLAR SETTLEMENT.

WELL, RESIDENTS STILL WORRY ABOUT THE LONG-TERM HEALTH IMPACTS.

JOINING US NOW HERE WITH MORE ARE ON TIME AGAIN, A LONG-TERM LITTLE VILLAGE RESIDENT AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZER AND SCOTT ROSNER, AN ATTORNEY WHO REPRESENTS THE RESIDENTS IN THE FEDERAL CASE LAST CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING I WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WAS IT LIKE THAT DAY OF THE IMPLOSION WAS YOU MENTIONED IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL, CLEAR.

>> SUNNY DAY WEATHER.

I FORTUNATELY WAS NOT HOME AT THAT MOMENT.

MY AS YOU MENTIONED, WAS AT THE BEGINNING OF COVID.

MY BROTHER HAD CONTRACTED COVID SIDE GOING TO SEE HIM AND IT WAS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA.

THEY START SEEING ALL THESE IMAGES OF MY BACKYARD PRETTY MUCH RIGHT.

AND I CAME BACK HOME ONLY TO FIND WHAT CATASTROPHE THAT THAT WAS THEIR ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD, ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND I I LIVE ABOUT HALF A BLOCK FROM ACTUAL THE FACTORY.

SO IT WAS IMPACTED RIGHT THERE.

AND IT IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE SITUATION, BUT WAS SOMETHING THAT I DON'T THINK SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

AND I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.

IT HAD NOT BEEN IN THE THEY HAVE BEEN A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD WHICH IS THE REASON WE STARTED THIS LAWSUIT AND TALKING ABOUT THE LAW.

SO WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TOGETHER?

>> NEIGHBORS AND FILED THIS LAWSUIT?

WELL, I WAS EXPECTING OUR LEADERS AND OUR POLITICIANS TO TAKE THE MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS.

AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY DID NOT.

AND THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME.

>> AS IT BOTHER LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS THAT JUST A WORD ANSWERS.

AND WE QUICKLY MOBILIZE START ORGANIZING SOME OF THE NEIGHBORS TO START ASKING QUESTIONS.

FORTUNATELY, WE AND WE WERE LOOKING FOR AN ATTORNEY, A PROBE OWNER TRAINING BECAUSE WE COULDN'T SELVES.

LUCKILY, WE MET A LOW OF LOW OF AND THEY TOOK UP OUR CASE WE WERE JUST WE WERE NOT HAPPY WITH THE RESPONSE OF THE CITY.

OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS IMAGINE ALSO GATHERING PEOPLE ONLY SPEAKS SPANISH, CORRECT, AND A LOT ABOUT IT AND THAT, HEY, SPEAK LITTLE EDGE IS A PREDOMINATELY MEXICAN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY, A LOT OF SPANISH SPEAKERS AND IT WAS MUST HAVE BEEN SOMETHING VERY FRIGHTENING TO PEOPLE BECAUSE IT WAS.

>> A BIG BOOM SHOOK UP THE HOUSES AND THEN THIS BIG OF SMOKE AND DESCENDING UPON THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE MIDST COVID AND LITTLE WOODS HAD HIT VERY HARD WITH COVID SAYS LIKE A ONE-TWO AND WHAT ELSE ANOTHER ANOTHER AND SCOTT GOING TO THE COMPLAINT WAS AGAINST HILCO REDEVELOPMENT IN THEIR SUBCONTRACTORS.

A COMPANY THAT CARRIED OUT THE DEMOLITION.

BUT WHAT ROLE, IF ANY, DOES FORMER MAYOR LIGHTFOOT IN THE CITY PLAY IN THIS WHICH IS SAY I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BLAME TO GO AROUND THE CITY.

CERTAINLY OUR VIEW, DIDN'T TAKE ENOUGH STEPS TO PROTECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD FROM DEMOLITION.

>> WE THOUGHT THE RIGHT LEGAL CASES AGAINST THE PEOPLE ACTUALLY CARRIED IT OUT.

BUT THERE PLENTY OF PROBLEMS ALL THE WAY AROUND.

>> IN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU HEARD FROM THE RESIDENTS.

YOU KNOW, WE HEARD AT THE BEGINNING, A LOT OF PEOPLE WORK ON TESTING AND TELLING US THAT THEY WERE SCARED PEOPLE HAD WERE COUGHING.

>> THEY WERE GETTING HEADACHES AND THIS WAS AS ONE SAID RIGHT AT THE START OF COVID AND SOME PEOPLE OR CHURCH.

THEY HAD COVID.

AND I JUST THINK ALL OF ANXIETY PEOPLE ARE FEELING ABOUT COVID WAS HYPER HEIGHTENED ITS BY SAYING SOMETHING LOOKED LIKE A BOMB GO OFF IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT HAPPENED.

>> AND WANT TO DUE TO JUMP ON BOARD AND HELP THE PEOPLE OF LITTLE VILLAGE.

WE ARE CIVIL RIGHTS FROM WHERE I WORK.

AND SO WE TAKE ON CASES WHERE WE SEE SOMETHING THAT SEEMS WRONG TO US.

AND WE SAW THE SAME IMAGES THAT EVERY ELSE WAS SAYING.

LIKE I SAID, IT LOOKED LIKE A BOMB GONE OFF.

IT WAS CLEAR SOMETHING WRONG.

IT HAPPENED AND EXACTLY THE KIND OF CASE THAT OUR FIRM HANDLES.

>> AND ONE YOU HAD MENTIONED EARLIER RIGHT NOW THAT THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT WAS LINCOLN PARK OR LINCOLN'S LINCOLN SQUARE, CAN YOU EXPAND ON THAT?

>> WELL, AGAIN, LITTLE VILLAGES IN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES, SOME PRETTY ONLY MEXICAN COMMUNITY.

AND I THINK OF THE PROPER CARE WOULD HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN THE DEMOLITION OF THE SMOKESTACK.

THIS WOULD HAVE NOT HAPPENED, BUT IT HAPPENS.

I THINK PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT WAS PRIMARILY IMMIGRANTS, MEXICAN COMMUNITY BECAUSE IT WAS ANYWHERE ELSE.

THE CITY WOULD HAVE TAKEN ALL THE PRECAUTIONS AND HILCO WOULD HAVE TAKEN ALL THE PRECAUTIONS NEEDED AND THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T THAT REALLY BOTHERED ME NOT TO MENTION THAT.

THEY SAID THERE WERE SOME FLYERS, BUT THEY WERE ENGLISH.

>> WELL, I'LL TELL YOU THE FLYERS WHILE WE'RE PLAYING ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF ALL.

I LAUGH ABOUT IT IT REALLY MADE ME ANGRY BECAUSE I I SAW THE FLYER AFTER THE FACT.

AND THEY WERE ROLLED UP A LITTLE PAPER STUCK AND EVERYBODY'S OFFENSES AND THEY WERE THERE, I THINK, MUST HAVE BEEN PLACED AROUND 4 O'CLOCK THAT AFTERNOON, THE DAY BEFORE.

SO PEOPLE ARE WORKING.

THEY COME HOME.

THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ROLL THE FLYER AND SEE WHAT'S REALLY GOING ON.

SO THERE WAS A LACK OF INFORMATION.

PEOPLE ARE NOT INFORMED THAT WERE NOT PREPARED.

AND THEN IT WAS ALL JUST BACKTRACKING, TRYING TO COVER THEIR STOPS.

AND SO WHERE WERE WE'RE PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME NOW?

I THINK WE'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT IS THIS WAS NEVER ABOUT MONEY.

THIS IS ABOUT MAKING A POINT ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY, MAKING THE STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY.

AND ULTIMATELY IT'S ABOUT JUSTICE PALACE.

THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION.

IT'S BEEN 4 YEARS THAT A SETTLEMENT WAS FINALLY REACHED.

ARE YOU SATISFIED SOME QUESTION FOR BOTH OF YOU?

>> I THINK TERMS IT WAS 4 YEARS.

I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE JUST HAVE THIS FORGOTTEN.

AND THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUED FIGHTING THROUGH THE 4 YEARS, I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD FORGOTTEN ABOUT IT.

AND I THINK WE'RE WE'RE PLEASED WITH THE WITH THE RESULTS BECAUSE ULTIMATELY, AGAIN, IT'S AT THE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY.

IT'S ABOUT THE STATEMENT THAT'S BEING MADE THAT 6200 TO 500 RIGHT SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S RESPECT FOR THIS COMMUNITY FOR THE IMMIGRANT MEXICAN COMMUNITY OF LITTLE VILLAGE.

ARE AT SCOTT?

THANK YOU, WE ARE THOUGHT HAVE SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME I ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS.

I THINK THE SETTLEMENT COMPARES REALLY FAVORABLY TO OTHER SIMILAR CASES.

>> I DO THINK IT SENDS A MESSAGE TO CORPORATIONS THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE.

THE MONEY IS OBVIOUSLY SPREAD OUT AMONG A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.

BUT IT IS A LOT OF TO SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR >> COMPANIES TO IN A LAWSUIT.

THAT WAS A REACTION LIKE FROM THE PLAINTIFFS WHEN THEY REALIZE LIKE, HEY, WE ARE GOING TO BE RECEIVING SOME MONEY.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

>> IT WAS REALLY POSITIVE.

WE HAVE A REALLY WE'VE GOT A VERY POSITIVE REACTION.

NOBODY.

THERE'S A PROCESS IN CLASS ACTIONS AND LET PEOPLE WHO ARE PART OF THE CLASS GO TO COURT AND OBJECT AND SAY IF THEY HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, NOBODY DID THAT HERE.

AND PEOPLE IN GENERAL ARE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE OUTCOME.

>> AND WE WANT TO MAKE KNOW THAT ENVIRONMENTAL DANGERS ARE PARTICULARLY IN BLACK AND LATINO NEIGHBORHOODS IN CHICAGO.

IT 2023 REPORT FROM THE GUARDIAN FOUND THAT CHICAGO'S SOUTH AND WEST SIDES RANKED 3RD IN A LIST OF 10 WORST PLACES TO LIVE IN FOR THE U.S. FOR AIR POLLUTION THAT WON.

THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT YOU GREW UP WITH IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

I MEAN, WHEN YOU HEAR THAT, THAT IT'S AT THE TOP OF PEOPLE HAVE TO DEAL WITH IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF SICKNESS IS HOW DOES MAKE YOU FEEL?

>> AGAIN, HAVEN'T GROWN UP AND THAT COMMUNITY AND IT'S AN INDUSTRIAL PRIMARILY INDUSTRIAL AREA RIGHT?

I THINK MORE THE REASONS WHY CORPORATIONS TAKE EXTRA PRECAUTION WHEN THEY'RE DOING THE DEMOLITION LIKE THAT LIKE THIS ONE.

THIS IS A MAJOR, MAJOR BUILDING IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS SOMETHING WE SAW EVERY SINGLE DAY WHEN WE DRIVE BY AND PULASKI AVENUE, JUST THE TO BE COMPANIES AND ARE NOW IS THE TARGET THERE.

>> IT'S NOT THAT WE SEEING ISSUES WITH THE TRUCKS THERE ARE THERE'S MORE TRUCK TRAFFIC AND I WILL TELL YOU, I THINK THAT HAVING HAD LOCAL BUILDING.

>> THEY ARE THE CRAWFORD BUILDING FOR MANY YEARS ABANDONED AS AN EYESORE.

I THINK WHAT'S THERE TODAY, HE'S MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WAS BEFORE.

BUT AGAIN, FOCUSING ON ON THE DEMOLITION.

I JUST THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE WAY THEY ABSOLUTELY.

>> AND SCOTT GOING TO DO FOR SEE ANY MORE LEGAL ISSUES COMING UP LATER AS A RESULT OF THE IMPLOSION.

>> I TO CLASS ACTION.

REALLY.

THE SETTLEMENT REALLY RESOLVES ALL OF CLAIMS RELATING TO THE IMPLOSION, WHICH IS WHAT WE FILED A LAWSUIT BEHALF OF ONE OF THE OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS YOU REALLY WOULD SAY THIS WAS