A federal court judge has declared Trump International Hotel and Tower in downtown Chicago a public nuisance, citing environmental violations that have led to the deaths of thousands of fish in the Chicago River. The lawsuit, filed by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and environmental activists, alleged that the skyscraper’s cooling water intake system was responsible for these deaths by sucking in 20 million gallons of river water daily without adhering to proper regulations.
Judge Thaddeus L. Wilson of Cook County Circuit Court ruled that the tower’s system “interferes substantially and unreasonably with the public right to fish and otherwise recreate in the Chicago River.” The building has been operating without a valid state water permit and failed to record water discharge levels, breaking local, state, and federal environmental laws.
Environmental groups, including Friends of the Chicago River, have claimed that the tower’s intake system kills more aquatic organisms than regulations allow. The next hearing is scheduled for November, during which courts may decide how to enforce compliance if an agreement is not reached.
The decision marks a significant step in a six-year legal battle aimed at holding the building accountable for its environmental impact.
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