Carus Chemicals is refusing to give the City of LaSalle the name of their insurance company after the fire and explosion that caused chemicals and heavy metals to rain on residents’ homes and yards.

In response to Sierra Club’s testing of furnace filters from residents’ homes, which revealed barium, lead, copper, zinc, mercury and other heavy metals in residents homes from the fire, Brownfield Engineering, the environmental consulting firm hired by the City of LaSalle, is recommending testing 24 furnace filters for more chemicals and metals at a cost of $80,000.

News Tribune Article, March 24, 2023:

Carus ‘refuses’ to name its insurance provider, La Salle city officials say, Olivia Doak.

““Because we work with several insurance providers and we wanted to avoid unnecessary confusion while streamlining the process, we worked with them to hire the Davies Group to facilitate all claims,” Carus said in a statement Friday….

“”I assume Carus, as a good partner of the city of La Salle, would’ve presented who’s insuring them. So, that’s an issue. It’s a huge issue to residents of the city of La Salle and an affront to a sitting alderman,” Alderman Bob Thompson said. …Without knowing who the insurance provider is, Thompson said, there’s no way to know whether the insurance adjusters coming to residents’ homes are associated with a state licensed insurance company. Thompson said he recommends that residents not to talk to anyone who comes to their door unless they show they’re representing a licensed company.

“Make sure you’re getting identification, make sure you’re getting credentials,” La Salle Mayor Jeff Grove said. … Grove said he and other city officials thought it was “unusual” that Carus didn’t disclose the name of its insurance provider.

Full article: https://www.shawlocal.com/news-tribune/2023/03/24/carus-refuses-to-name-its-insurance-provider-la-salle-city-officials-say/?fbclid=IwAR0cgSnqhu0SwX-8D8Orkhud-W2xb8B2w7Fd1O4rtWoRAOepA2va97ednoA