Illinois Sues Trump Tower for Violating Chicago River Water Protections

"Trump International Hotel & Tower is endangering fish and other aquatic life in the Chicago River, Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan alleges in a new lawsuit targeting the president’s skyscraper for multiple violations of clean water laws.

The glass-and-steel tower, emblazoned with a sign spelling "TRUMP” in letters more than 20 feet high, is one of the city’s largest users of river water for its cooling systems. It siphons nearly 20 million gallons a day through intakes so powerful the machines could fill an Olympic swimming pool in less than an hour, then pumps the water back into the river up to 35 degrees hotter.

Madigan’s lawsuit, filed late Monday in Cook County Circuit Court, accuses Trump Tower of failing to meet several requirements in a state permit intended to limit the number of fish pinned against intake screens or killed by sudden changes in pressure and temperature."

Michael Hawthorne reports for the Chicago Tribune August 14, 2018.

Source: Chicago Tribune, 08/15/2018