Group Asks Supreme Court To Block Construction Of Barack Obama’s Library

Not everyone in Chicago is excited about former President Barack Obama’s library being built on the city’s South Side. One Chicago-based public parks advocacy group submitted a request to the US Supreme Court to block construction on the former commander-in-chief’s library. 

According to The Hill, the group Protect Our Parks filed an emergency request to halt construction on Monday (August 16) –– the same day crews broke ground –– and is asking the courts to determine if the library is breaking any environmental laws. 

The group is specifically claiming the officials at the local, state, and federal levels bypassed environmental checkpoints by breaking the project into smaller pieces. They’re demanding an Environmental Impact Statement, described as an extensive review of the impact of the library’s construction on the park in which it’s located. 

In its petition, the group claims that if construction on the library goes forwards, it will “demolish significant parts of Jackson Park, its historical resources, parkland, and trees, which will, in turn, adversely affect the human environment, the historic landscape, wildlife, and migratory birds.” 

Advocates with the group made other legal attempts to stop the library from being constructed. In April, the Supreme Court declined to review the case, leading to more failed attempts in lower courts.

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