Almost three years after denying a similar operation’s bid on the Southeast Side, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration approved Sims Metal Management’s permit to continue shredding cars, appliances, and other scrap metal in Pilsen. Sims’ operation uses massive shredding equipment to separate and salvage metal for resale, a process that generates air pollution. This has been a central concern regarding the permit application, filed in December 2021.
As the only car-shredding operation in Chicago, Sims faced community opposition to its permit renewal. Residents called for a health impact study to assess the cumulative effects of Sims and other nearby polluters in Pilsen’s industrial area. The health department stated it will enforce permit conditions and take immediate corrective action for any violations. Sims, in its own statement, asserted that the approval was the right decision to allow the continuation of critical recycling work in Chicago, reaffirming its commitment to meeting the city’s operational expectations.
Sims’ history includes past violations of federal and state pollution laws. The company is currently installing pollution-control equipment mandated by the state following a 2021 lawsuit by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, who argued that Sims had not adequately demonstrated pollution reduction. A previous settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) required the installation of air monitors around the Pilsen facility in 2022. The city cited EPA findings from these monitors in its decision, claiming that Sims’ emissions would not cause short- or long-term health effects for the community. Air monitoring will continue.
This decision contrasts sharply with the city’s handling of a similar application from General Iron in 2022. Then-Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration rejected General Iron’s permit to relocate its metal-shredding operation to the Southeast Side, citing the inherently dangerous nature of the activity within a vulnerable community. General Iron’s facility remains idle, and the company has filed multiple lawsuits against the city.
Reserve Management, owner of the Southeast Side operation, criticized the differing standards applied to Sims and General Iron. Both Pilsen and the Southeast Side are designated as “environmental justice” communities, characterized by low income and high levels of existing pollution and social stressors that impact resident health.