Marlene Hopkins named Acting Building Departments Commissioner, despite criticism

CHICAGO (WLS) -- Marlene Hopkins has been named Acting Buildings Department Commissioner, despite critiques that she is among the city officials that did not put out a plan to protect Little Village residents from the 2020 implosion.

It may be a few years before Little Village residents know the real impact of the implosion that left behind an environmental mess four years ago on Easter Sunday.

Dust blanketed residential neighborhoods when the HILCO failed to prevent the mishap. Former city Inspector General Joe Ferguson wrote in a leaked private report that city officials in charge of the implosion, including Hopkins, did not put a plan in place to protect residents, even after Ferguson said the city was warned about the high risk of environmental harm to residents.

Despite this, Mayor Brandon Johnson has named Hopkins as the Acting Buildings Department Commissioner

"We see that they applauded negligence because she was part of the problem and she gets promoted so, we feel like we are being re-victimized because the city didn't hold her accountable," said Baltazar Enriquez, Little Village Community Council.

Little Village Community and environmental groups are enraged that Johnson, who ran on a promise of prioritizing environmental justice would appoint Hopkins.

"I'm sorry he is listening to the people he is listening to because he may not know all the history, but I'm pretty sure he has access to reading materials," said Reyes McNamara.

Environmental groups are pushing the mayor not to name Hopkins as the permanent commissioner. They are also hoping Johnson will publicly release the IG report. Neither Hopkins nor the Mayor's office had any comment about the appointment

In the meantime, the area of the implosion is now a huge Target warehouse flow center which residents say brings in hundreds of semis a day, causing even more environmental harm.0

"The biodiesel is affecting the air which is causing asthma, COPD and other problems," Enriquez said.

Twenty-second Ward Ald. Michael Rodriquez, who represents Little Village, said if Hopkins becomes the permanent Buildings Commissioner he will continue to work with her to hold HILCO accountable.