Madigan Lawsuit Says Trump Tower Puts Chicago River Fish At Risk

CHICAGO (CBS)--Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is suing Trump Tower in Chicago for allegedly jeopardizing populations of fish in the Chicago River.

Madigan filed a lawsuit against Trump International Hotel and Tower Monday for environmental violations, including putting aquatic life in the river in danger.

Madigan's lawsuit, filed in Cook County Circuit Court, alleges Trump Tower takes in and releases millions of gallons of water per day without having conducted federally-mandated studies of the impact on the river's fish and without the required permits.

The Trump Organization responded Tuesday with the following statement:

"We are disappointed that the Illinois Attorney General would choose to file this suit considering such items are generally handled at the administrative level," spokeswoman Janet Isabelli said in the statement. "One can only conclude that this decision was motivated by politics,"

Madigan's lawsuit alleges Trump Tower failed to submit study results to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) in 2013 as required by law. The federal Clean Water Act regulates cooling water intake structures because they can pull large volumes of fish into a building's cooling system. Fish and other aquatic organisms can also get trapped against intake screens, according to a press release from the Attorney General's office.

"Trump Tower continues to take millions of gallons of water from the Chicago River every day without a permit and without any regard to how it may be impacting the river's ecosystem," Madigan said in the press release. "I filed my lawsuit to make sure Trump Tower cannot continue violating the law."

The lawsuit also alleges Trump Tower has continued to release millions of gallons of heated water per day into the Chicago River even though its NPDES permit allowing it to do so expired on Aug. 31, 2017.