1. United States
2. Ill.
3. Letter

It is alarming and unacceptable that multiple phosphorus pyrotechnic armed flares were lost by the U.S. Coast Guard and littered in Lake Michigan “earlier this month” (no news outlets or the Coast Guard are providing more specific timeframes), and that the public was not notified until just yesterday when the first flare was located on Montrose Beach in Chicago. Why was the public not warned or notified to not touch or approach these flares when they were lost at the beginning of the month? Why are citizens being informed after the fact? This is especially irresponsible to not share prior to Memorial Day Weekend, one of the most popular times of year for Illinoisans to visit the lake. I demand that the Illinois General Assembly Special Investigative Committee completes a thorough, public investigation and subpoenas Coast Guard leadership to testify about what led up to this unforgivable oversight. Between this latest incident and the shutdown of the Fort Sheridan forest shoreline for multiple years due to the improper disposal of live munitions in the forest preserve, the Armed Forces have more than enough explaining to do to the people of Illinois. The state that is the home of the Great Lakes Naval Base cannot be spineless and meek in response to grave oversights by armed forces leadership that jeopardize the lives of innocent civilians.