Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago is endangering the life of fish and other aquatic life in the Chicago River by violating the city’s clean water laws, a new lawsuit alleges.
The tower pumps 20 million gallons of river water daily for its cooling system and then releases it back into the river at roughly 35 degrees warmer.
That change in temperature can harm fish and other wildlife. The lawsuit alleges that The Trump Organization, has failed to meet a number of requirements meant to limit the number of fish killed through the practice, The Chicago Tribune reports.
While the building’s cooling system was once permitted by the state, that permit lapsed almost a year ago, and the tower has continued to run the cooling system un-permitted.
“Trump Tower continues to take millions of gallons of water from the Chicago River every day without a permit and without any regard to how it may be impacting the river’s ecosystem,” Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who filed the suit, said in a statement. “I filed my lawsuit to make sure Trump Tower cannot continue violating the law.”
A settlement has been informally discussed between the two parties. In a statement, Trump Tower representatives said: “We are disappointed that the Illinois attorney general would choose to file this suit considering such items are generally handled at the administrative level. One can only conclude that this decision was motivated by politics.”
Madigan is not running for re-election. This is the second time she’s sued Trump Tower. She previously sued in 2012 because the high-rise failed to get permits for a new cooling-water intake for the building.
