General Iron’s metal-shredding operation in Lincoln Park. (WTTW News)

The request by the parent company of General Iron to operate a metal shredding and recycling operation on Chicago’s Southeast Side is “incomplete and substantially deficient,” city officials told the firm late Wednesday.

The Chicago Department of Public Health asked Reserve Management Group to resubmit its application to operate Southside Recycling at 11600 S. Burley Ave. with a significant amount of additional information, according to the letter signed by Renate Marante, an environmental engineer, that includes 34 specific requests for information and documentation.

Randall Samborn, a spokesman for Reserve Management Group, declined to comment on the city’s letter to WTTW News.

General Iron is set to cease operations in Lincoln Park at the end of 2020. RMG has purchased General Iron’s assets and is in the process of starting up its own metal shredding operation on a sprawling 178-acre site on the Southeast Side.

Residents of the Southeast Side and environmental advocates have urged the city to block the final permit it needs to operate as a recycling facility, saying the 10th Ward already suffers under a disproportionate burden from industrial operations that cause air and soil pollution, traffic congestion and noise.

The facility can not open until RMG receives that permit.

While operating in Lincoln Park, General Iron racked up numerous violations and tens of thousands of dollars in fines.

RMG is the first company to ask the city for permission to operate a large recycling facility under new rules crafted by Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s administration that require more feedback from nearby residents and are designed to increase environmental protections.

RMG’s pending permit application can be viewed online. Comments related to the application should be emailed to [email protected] by Jan. 14.

Patty Wetli contributed.

Contact Heather Cherone: @HeatherCherone | (773) 569-1863 | [email protected]