The Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced that it has denied RMG’s permit application to operate a scrap metal recycling facility on Chicago’s Southeast Side. CDPH found the potential adverse changes in air quality and quality of life that would be caused by operations, and health vulnerabilities in the surrounding communities – together with the company’s track record in operating similar facilities within this campus – present an unacceptable risk. The announcement follows the third and final community engagement session held on Tuesday night as part of an eight-month Health Impact Assessment (HIA) that was recommended and guided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). The HIA found that certain census block groups in the Southeast Side community rank among the highest in Chicago for vulnerability to air pollution, based on underlying health and social conditions. Further, the Southeast Side population has higher rates of chronic conditions such as coronary heart disease and COPD in adults than Chicago overall. CDPH regulations require that a company’s compliance history be considered as part of its review of any recycling permit application. Through the HIA process, CDPH officials discovered apparent instances of RMG’s non-compliance with City health and environmental regulations and existing requirements. This included failure to obtain necessary permits for foundry sand operations, as well as exceeding permitted capacity for other approved operations. In addition, the HIA assessment cited RMG’s lack of transparency and responsiveness, such as not reporting an April 2021 building collapse on the site and related failure to properly maintain asbestos-containing materials.  For more information, visit https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/sites/rmg-expansion/home/health-impact-assessment.html