The city’s “negligence and incompetence” allowed a demolition dust storm to blanket Little Village in 2020, according to a scathing watchdog report that also berated City Hall for its response to the debacle.
The previously secret report, finalized in 2021, blames three Chicago officials who were involved, along with developer Hilco, in planning for the implosion of the almost 400-foot chimney at the old Crawford coal-fired power plant. When the structure came tumbling down, it created a massive dust cloud that covered homes, yards, cars and everything else in its path.
