Crain’s Chicago Business

Be a good neighbor, not a polluter.

Because I live just steps away from General Iron, I know the difference all too well (“A parting gesture from the Emanuel administration along the North Branch,” July 1). I feel the effects of the metal shredding and recycling operation on my home, in my neighborhood, at my children’s schools, where I shop and where we play.

Every morning around 5 a.m., I wake up to the sound of metal crunching, equipment banging and loud explosions. On my commute home, I walk down the Armitage Avenue shopping district and my tongue begins to tingle, my nose gets overwhelmed by a chemical smell, and I see fiberglass “fluff” caked into the sidewalk cracks.

I can’t open my windows on days when the wind is blowing west to east. I need to wash down all of my children’s outside toys before they can play. I need to cover all of my outdoor furniture year-round.

Read full piece at Crain’s Chicago.