OSHA Fines Mental Health Center Cleanup Contractor; Village, Park District Trade Blows

TINLEY PARK, IL — Village leaders on Tuesday rebuked the Tinley Park-Park District, citing nearly $40,000 in fines against a contractor tasked with cleanup at the dilapidated Tinley Mental Health Center land.

At a news conference, Village Manager Pat Carr pointed out the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's fine for safety violations by a demolition contractor.

A report detailing the fine lays out that work Omega II LLC performed on a building at 7600 W. 183rd Street on or about Oct. 24 involving demolition of interior walls coated with lead-based paint disregarded safety protocol. The violations, the Village said, found that the contractor did not collect personal samples to determine employees' exposure to lead, and did not provide appropriate change areas, in turn exposing employees to lead hazards. OSHA’s citations total $36,177, according to documents.

“This involves the safety and well-being of our residents, employees and visitors of our great village,” Carr said during the conference. “There were three serious violations that were noted that put employees at risk for lead exposure.

“... What is really disturbing is the fact that this is all preventable. What we know now is that there is zero management oversight on this property.”

Carr went on to say that the park district had hired a prominent environmental legal firm and a project manager whose job is to monitor the site.

"But they are not," he said.

Park district officials responded promptly following the conference. Its own entity and taxing body, the park district and Village have been sparring over the property for some time, as both sought to acquire it.

"The contractor responded on the spot—during the OSHA site visit—and put in place safety precautions to remedy the issue," reads their statement. "There haven’t been any problems since. We will continue to ensure diligence by the contractor at the site."

The park district acquired the land from the state for $1 in February 2024, with $15 million in state funding secured to pay for the remediation of all 280 acres—starting first with environmental clean-up, vegetation cutting and overgrowth removal, and removal of underground storage tanks. Tapped as project lead on the cleanup, Michael Maloney is also running for Tinley Park mayor in April atop the Tinley Together ticket.

Carr on Tuesday said in the park district's assuming ownership of the land, Village officials with historical knowledge of the property, its buildings and infrastructure have essentially been shut out of its future.

“What’s done is done in relationship to the ownership of this property,” Carr said. “And I don’t blame the staff or the park district because unfortunately, they have never undertook a project like this. And they are not supposed to.

“I understand that their hands are tied, and I feel for them.”

The "environmental debacle" comes down to state legislators, Carr said, naming state Sen. Michael Hastings and state Rep. Bob Rita. The two, Carr said, "have pitted professional staffs against each other ... friends against friends, and neighbors against neighbors."

Carr said that the Village has no say in the processes surrounding the property, stating that it's due to Hastings and Rita negating the Village's home rule governance on the land.

"They weaponized their legislative power to write us out of our own home rule authority," Carr said. "It means there is no oversight, and no local oversight."

Legislation advanced eliminated the need for permitting for the project, Carr said. The Village, in turn, cannot independently verify licensing, safety measures and more involving contaminants and debris at the property.

"We just take their word for it," Carr said.

He then called for state and federal regulatory and investigative agencies to dig into the project "for the protection of our residents, employees and visitors."

Visibly absent from the conference was Mayor Michael Glotz, who's running for reelection leading the One Tinley Park slate.

The news conference, park district officials said, was a "political stunt packed with false information in the middle of an election season.

"This press conference was nothing more than sour grapes from an administration that was unable to clean up this site on its own and a sad reflection of the leadership at Village Hall," the statement reads.

"The fact is that multiple layers of government are overseeing this project, including the county, state and federal levels, through site visits, permitting, and routine documentation and reporting for the government’s review. Any claim otherwise is a lie. Contrary to the accusations made today, the General Assembly removed the Village’s oversight and allowed the state and federal agencies with expertise to step in."

Village officials, the park district said, have always been against the park district's ownership and planned overhaul of the property.

"The Village has always opposed our clean-up efforts, and without the help of our legislators to acquire a $15 million grant, we would not have been able to clean the site," the statement reads. "As village residents can plainly see, we have made great progress in cleaning the site and making it open land for our community."

Park district officials point residents to their project website for more information.