Chicago waits with bated breath to find out if it has been selected as the host of the 2016 Olympic Games. But airborne dust has already sparked health concerns.
With demolition work in preparation for the London 2012 Games still taking place just a few miles from my front door, it’s easy to forget that the forward-planning of these vast, global events never stops. And so on 2 October, Chicago, along with a whole host of rival cities, will wait to learn if they have been selected to host the 2016 Games.
But even though Chicago doesn’t yet know the outcome, demolition works that would be associated with a successful bid have already caused health concerns for the city’s residents, according to Chicago Talks.
Residents believe that some preparatory works have already created a degree of airborne dust which is causing breathing problems among asthmatics. “I already feel the effects. There’s clearly dust if nothing else,” says local resident Terry Clark. “I’m very upset and distressed. If I’m feeling like this now and they haven’t even started.”
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