The Trump International Hotel & Tower, known officially as 401 North Wabash Venture LLC, has reached a $4.8 million settlement with the Illinois Attorney General's office, resolving a series of environmental violations. Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the agreement which, pending judicial approval, will address non-compliance issues related to the building's cooling water intake system that draws water from the Chicago River. "The Chicago River is one of our city’s most treasured natural resources, and future generations should benefit from the opportunities for recreation and commerce it provides," Raoul said, according to an official statement.
The settlement results from legal action initiated in 2018 by the Attorney General's office after referral from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA). Allegations indicated that the Trump Tower failed to obtain necessary permits and to submit required compliance information for the operation of its cooling water system, which is capable of pulling more than 20 million gallons of water from the Chicago River every day. "Trump Tower showed a disregard for the environment through its daily discharge operations, which violated the Illinois Environmental Protection Act and Illinois Pollution Control Regulations," said Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings, as stated by the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
Under the terms of the proposed agreement, which is now entering a 30-day public comment period, 401 North Wabash Venture LLC will pay $1.5 million in civil penalties, and $3 million will fund a supplemental environmental project (SEP) focused on restoring the Chicago River habitat for fish and other aquatic life, as per the Illinois Attorney General's Office. An additional $300,000 is earmarked for litigation costs, and the settlement mandates that flow meters be installed to monitor heated water discharge into the river. A third party will audit meter accuracy, and monthly monitoring data will be shared with all case parties.
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