Ottawa’s city council met in July 2022 and approved Carus Chemical to use the Ottawa South Towne Mall to store hazardous chemicals.
Only one person went to the Ottawa City Council meeting when this proposal was being discussed.
According to Shaw Local News, the only reason he came was because he was concerned about the lawn getting mowed at the mall near his home.
Nobody came to ask questions about safety precautions, hazmat plans, or anything else about the proposal to store Carus’ chemicals at the Ottawa South Towne Mall.
Fast forward to January 11, 2023 when an explosion occurred at Carus Chemical’s manufacturing plant in LaSalle, Illinois, that caused chemicals to rain down on the neighborhood and a massive fire to break out and release plumes of toxic smoke into the air.
The chemical, potassium permanganate, that blew up all over the LaSalle neighborhood is the same chemical that was approved for storage at the mall by Ottawa City Council, and is now being stored there.
Potassium permanganate is almost always presented by Shaw News, local politicians and Carus chemical as being for water treatment.
This makes it sound benign, like Carus is making these chemicals so we can have safe drinking water, as if they’re some kind of hero. 
According to Carus’ website, potassium permanganate is used for treating fracking wastewater, separating metals in mining and in refining crude oil.
This is a hazardous, dangerous chemical that was approved for storage near a residential neighborhood and senior apartment complex in Ottawa, Illinois.
Last week, a neighbor next to Carus photographed and filmed semis hauling 7 loads of chemicals out of their warehouse in LaSalle, and followed them to the South Towne Mall, where they unloaded barrels and pallets for storage.
How will the City of Ottawa handle a situation like what happened in LaSalle when this same chemical started on fire and exploded?
As Jamie Hick’s said, “You’ve got our bomb now, Ottawa.” 
Ordinance for Ottawa Chemical Storage at South Towne Mall:
Shaw Local News: Request to use South Towne Mall in Ottawa as storage heads to City Council
By Michael Urbanec, Shaw Local News. July 25,2022
Chemical Safety Data Sheets for Chemicals being stored at the former Ottawa South Towne Mall, Lotz Storage.
Chemicals being stored at this location include, but are not limited to the following:
Protect Starved Rock and The Illinois Valley 
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