Luxury auto dealer accused of polluting Chicago River

Local luxury car dealer Joe Perillo Sr. has been slapped with a federal lawsuit that accuses of him violating the Clean Water Act by dumping pollutants into the Chicago River without a permit.

A complaint submitted by the United States accuses that Perillo, who manages a BMW dealership and body shop on the Near North Side, unlawfully discarded “dirt, spoil, rock and sand” into the North Branch of the Chicago River from October 2018 until today. 

Perillo, or somebody contributing on his behalf, used construction equipment to dump the material, which has resulted in a sea wall to collapse, according to the lawsuit. The collapsed sea wall supposedly created a hazard for boats attempting to navigate that portion of the river.

The U.S., representing the Army Corps of Engineers, states in the complaint that unless held responsible, Perillo and his associates are “likely to continue to discharge” materials that are considered pollutants under the present federal Clean Water Act.

The U.S. is asking for a court to force Perillo to revive the site and to mitigate possible “irreversible environmental damage” at his own expenditure.

Perillo, head of Perillo Auto Group, owns multiple luxury auto dealerships in the Chicago area, including Gold Coast Motors and a Bentley and Lamborghini dealership in Downers Grove. Perillo also owns Hotel Chicago, which opened in 2016 located near the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Perillo BMW did not respond to a request for comment right away. It is not clear if Perillo has retained an attorney.