Construction debris from the ongoing demolition of the former Chicago Tribune Freedom Center fell into the North Branch of the Chicago River last weekend. The work began in late August to pave the way for the $1.7 billion Bally’s Chicago Casino on the 30-acre River West site.
Videos shared on social media showed a crane bring down a wall, causing white granular material to spill into the river and bring protective netting down with it. As it hit the water’s surface, the debris produced a dusty cloud and then settled, floating on the river as cranes ground to a halt.
Operations were halted immediately Saturday afternoon and cleanup efforts started that evening. Bally’s identified the debris as non-hazardous perlite, a volcanic glass used in construction. Using row boats and skimmers, a cleanup crew collected the floating bits and removed the big chunks of debris by Sunday evening.
After reports of the wall collapse, the Industrial Waste Division of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago investigated the site, according to public affairs officer Allison Fore.
A multiphase cleanup by the construction company is underway, and MWRD said it will monitor the site until the cleanup is deemed satisfactory. The cleanup includes the installation of a barge that has been positioned at the site to prevent additional demolition material from entering the river.
“There is no timeline for completion yet, but we will continue to monitor the situation,” Fore said.
MWRD did not answer further questions about the investigation or whether any violations may have occurred.
Weekend winds blowing in from the southeast transported smaller pieces of loose debris upstream and deposited them on parts of the Wild Mile, which is a series of floating gardens along the North Branch Canal and east of Goose Island that mimic wetland habitat and are managed by Urban Rivers.
“That kind of set off our alarm bells,” said Nick Wesley, executive editor at the nonprofit. “And we noticed there were just certain areas where it had really piled up.”
In the days following the incident, Urban Rivers staff and volunteers in kayaks and boats used pool skimmers to remove as much material as possible, particularly concerned that it could be old polystyrene insulation.
“If it’s really, purely perlite, that’s good news,” said Stephen Meyer, volunteer coordinator. “Yeah, perlite is just obsidian glass. It’s comforting that it’s not polystyrene.”
On Tuesday, white granules accumulated on a grassy nook where snapping turtles such as Chicago celebrity Chonkosaurus often bask and sleep, and another place near the river wall where they brumate, which is similar to hibernating but for amphibians and reptiles.
“The big worry is, the stuff’s very small. It’s everywhere. (Animals) might start eating it, it’ll cover up a lot of vegetation and just kind of sit there,” Wesley said. Then there are concerns about longer-term effects, especially if other materials were knocked down alongside the perlite and dissolve in the water, or are absorbed by plants or ingested by wildlife.
As of Wednesday, this was the only report Bally’s and its general contractor, the Chicago Community Builders Collective, had received of debris outside the cleanup zone. The demolition company sent a small crew to the North Branch Canal Wednesday afternoon to help remove the material.
No injuries from the collapse were reported in an initial statement released by Bally’s and the contractor.
“While the exact cause of the incident is under review, we do not believe it poses any harm to the river or boats navigating the area,” the statement said. “We are in constant communication with the appropriate authorities to manage the situation.”
Several agencies were notified after the incident, according to Bally’s, including the Chicago Departments of Public Health, Buildings and Transportation, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Illinois EPA couldn’t be immediately reached for comment.
Fore encouraged residents to report any suspicious dumping in waterways or sewers by visiting gispub.mwrd.org/incidentreporting or calling 800-332-3867. Chicagoans can also call 311.
“The safety of our surrounding community and employees remains our top priority,” the company and contractor said in a statement Tuesday. “We regret this incident occurred and we will work diligently to prevent similar incidents moving forward.”
Local nonprofit Friends of the Chicago River posted on social media about the incident Monday.
“This kind of irresponsible behavior can’t stand,” said Margaret Frisbie, executive director. “We are just grateful that the community acted right away and reported it to (Ald. Brendan Reilly) and others. It is incumbent on any river-edge developer to protect the river from pollution in every way — and our government agencies to swoop in and stop them when they don’t.”
Wesley said that developers taking precautions and having a game plan for incidents like this is key for urban areas and nature to coexist.
“Having the normal functions of a city and the functions of an ecosystem working together or living side by side — it’s something that is definitely achievable,” he said.
Chicago Tribune’s Robert Channick contributed.
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