History of Fisk and Crawford

Fisk Power Plant was built more than 100 years ago when electricity was in its infancy.  The current equipment operating at the plant dated from 1959.  Because of their age, plants such as Fisk and Crawford are often exempt from rigorous clean air regulations.  The Fisk plant is located at 1111 W. Cermak in Pilsen and the Crawford plant is at 3501 S. Pulaski in the Little Village community.

On May 2, 2006, asthma specialists from leading Chicago hospitals, agencies and community organizations gathered to commemorate World Asthma Day and the unveiling of the Chicago Asthma Action Plan that calls for emission controls on Fisk and Crawford. 

"Every day we see the effects of these emissions on the faces of our children," says Carmen Velasquez, Executive Director of Alivio Medical Center.  "Parents come to our doors with children who can't breathe, can't talk and in severe cases showing a discoloration of lips and nails. Every child in every neighborhood deserves clean air.  We must work together to get these plants cleaned up."
An estimated 318,000 adults and 122,000 children in the city have diagnosed asthma although actual asthma rates may be far higher among the two million children who reside within a 30-mile radius of the Fisk and Crawford plants.

"Little Village and Pilsen residents pay the price for having coal-fired plants in our community everyday.  We pay our monthly bill to get energy, then we pay an even higher price through lost work and missed school days.  It's time for Chicago to stop footing the bill and pass legislation to clean up the plants," said Kimberly Wasserman, Coordinator, Little Village Environmental Justice Organization.

World Asthma Day is funded through educational grants received from the Illinois Department of Public Health and GlaxoSmithKline.

For information the Third Annual Chicago Asthma Action Plan and its participating organizations visit http://asthmaactionplanchicago.org/