Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago has agreed to a $4.8 million settlement following allegations that its cooling system was responsible for killing aquatic life in the Chicago River.
The complaint, originally filed in 2018 by the Illinois Attorney General, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA), the Sierra Club, and Friends of the Chicago River, alleged that the building’s river water intake system — used to regulate indoor temperature — was pulling in and killing thousands of fish and other aquatic species.
Jack Darin, director of the Sierra Club’s Illinois chapter, welcomed the agreement as a meaningful move toward environmental accountability. “This is an important step in protecting the Chicago River and ensuring that polluters face consequences,” he said. “With federal environmental enforcement weakening, state and local actions like this are more important than ever.”
A spokesperson for the Trump Tower denied any wrongdoing but said the property agreed to a settlement in order to resolve the enforcement case cooperatively. As part of the resolution, the Trump property will fund an aquatic habitat restoration project.
“This initiative will contribute to the health of the river ecosystem, benefiting residents and visitors alike,” the spokesperson said. “We’re pleased to move forward and remain committed to working with local partners to support the sustainability of the Chicago River.”
Under the terms of the agreement, the tower will pay $1.5 million in civil penalties to the state, $300,000 in legal fees, and $3 million toward the ecological restoration project.
The settlement follows a ruling by a Cook County judge last September, which found that the building violated both state and federal environmental laws by operating a cooling system that did not meet regulatory standards designed to limit ecological harm.
The violation came to light during a standard permit renewal review, when state officials determined that the building’s system failed to use technology that minimizes the impact on aquatic organisms.
Constructed in 2008, the Trump Tower stands along the Chicago River just steps from Michigan Avenue, surrounded by some of the city’s most iconic architecture, including the Wrigley Building and Tribune Tower. It includes a hotel, luxury condominiums, and retail space.
According to environmental groups, the cooling system is capable of drawing in up to 21 million gallons (80 million liters) of water from the river each day — an amount that, without proper safeguards, can be devastating to fish and other river life.