A top city health official testified Wednesday that the denial of a Southeast Side metal shredder’s permit was decided on multiple factors, including residents’ concerns about cumulative air pollution and high rates of chronic diseases in the surrounding community.
Megan Cunningham, managing deputy commissioner of the city’s public health department, said that a comprehensive analysis of the health and environmental factors of three neighborhoods, East Side, Hegewisch and South Deering, persuaded Chicago officials to reject an application to open a car and scrap metal shredding facility on East 116th Street along the Calumet River.
