Judge sides with Illinois attorney general in lawsuit over Chicago Trump Tower’s water use

A Chicago court ruled this week that Trump Tower in Chicago violated the Illinois environmental protection law with its use of water from the Chicago River.

In his ruling, Cook County Circuit Court Judge Thaddeus L. Wilson sided with a 2018 lawsuit from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul (D) and a coalition of environmental groups. Raoul’s office filed the suit based on a referral from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, which accused the building of neglecting to obtain necessary Clean Water Act permits for its cooling water intake system.

Later that same year, Raoul’s office, Trump International, as well as the Sierra Club and Friends of the Chicago River, agreed to join an interim order requiring the building to abide by expired National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and report its daily discharges of heated water.

Last year, Raoul amended the suit to further accuse Trump Tower of violating both state law and state pollution control board rules, alleging it underreported discharge figures for several years.

Structures of the tower’s size are required under federal law to conduct studies of their water intake due to the amount of marine life affected by the process.

In the summary judgment, Wilson ruled the Trump Organization “liable on all counts.” Raoul’s office said in a statement that it intended to seek an injunction and civil penalties at a future hearing, which has not yet been scheduled.

“The recovery of the Chicago River into the healthy heart of our downtown is a major accomplishment for the people of Chicago and the Clean Water Act,” said Sierra Club Illinois Director Jack Darin. “Trump Tower openly violated the Clean Water Act for years, putting the river and the wildlife that call it home at risk. We’re proud to hold these scofflaws accountable, and applaud our pro bono attorneys and the Attorney General for stepping up to protect our river and its recovery.”

When the lawsuit was initially filed, during the Trump presidency, the organization alleged it was politically motivated.

The Hill has reached out to the Trump Organization for comment on this week’s ruling.