(Source: Press release from the office of Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), February 6, 2012)
CHICAGO — A collaborative effort among Amtrak, Metra, and state and federal agencies to reduce diesel soot emissions and improve air quality in and around Union Station has already produced positive results, but further progress requires the full cooperation of adjacent property owners, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today. Durbin wrote a letter today to the owner of the Old Post Office located south of Union Station to ask that he properly maintain and operate the ventilation systems below the building that prevent locomotive fumes from backing up in the train station.
After months of out-of-court attempts to settle the matter, Amtrak filed a complaint in U.S. District Court (Northern District of Illinois) on Friday against the Old Post Office’s holding company, International Property Developers. The building has already been cited by the City of Chicago for not maintaining and operating the ventilation system.