Pam Zidarich, a resident near Chicago’s Midway Airport, addresses fellow residents about odors coming from windows installed as part of the city Department of Aviation’s soundproofing program. Zidarich, who spoke at a meeting about the windows held last week at Hale Park, is concerned about polyvinyl chloride in the windows, which has been linked to cancer, sterility and breathing issues. (Photo by Kevin Beese/for Chronicle Media)

Windows supposed to help give Pam Zidarich relief from jets flying into and out of nearby Midway Airport have her doing anything but resting peacefully.

The replacement windows installed as part of the Chicago Department of Aviation’s soundproofing program contain polyvinyl chloride, a known carcinogen.

“I go to bed thinking about this,” Zidarich said. “I wake up thinking about this. I worry about my health. I worry about my family.”

Zidarich, who works from home, said she spent all last summer trying to figure out the source of the odor permeating her residence. She said it constantly smelled like an electrical issue, “like a cord overheated or an appliance had gone bad.”

“It was driving me crazy,” Zidarich said.

Finally, she wondered if the telephone wires or cable wires on the back of her house were the source of the odor. She put her head through the window to check the wires and when she brought her head back through the window “it was like a punch in the face and I knew the smell was coming through my windows.”

Zidarich is one of 86 Midway area homeowners who have complained about odor coming from the replacement windows when they get direct sunlight. Four O’Hare area residents have voiced similar concerns.

Having poured more than 200 hours into the window issue, Zidarich said she is concerned about the polyvinyl chloride in the windows, which has been linked to cancer, sterility and breathing issues.

Aaron Frame, deputy commissioner of environment for the Chicago Department of Aviation, addresses aldermen’s concerns during the Aug. 23 meeting at Hale Park. (Photo by Kevin Beese/for Chronicle Media)

“These things might not show up today,” Zidarich said. “They can show up 10 years down the road.”

Zidarich told her story and gave her observations during a meeting of the City Council’s Aviation and Finance committees Aug. 23. The committees took the usual step of meeting in the gym at Hale Park, located in Chicago’s Clearing neighborhood, to keep residents from having to head all the way Downtown to express their concerns and get answers to questions.

One person noticeably absent from the meeting was Department of Aviation Commissioner Ginger Evans, which did not sit well with aldermen in attendance. Aaron Frame, deputy commissioner of environment for the department, said that Evans was on a pre-arranged vacation.

“This is not important enough for the department chairwoman to be here?” Ald. Edward Burke (14^th Ward), chairman of the Finance Committee, mockingly asked.

Burke suggested that Evans’ absence would not be glossed over.

“It’s too bad the commissioner is not here to hear the community’s growing concerns,” Burke said. “We will take that up at another place and time.”

“To say I’m mildly upset the commissioner is not here is an understatement,” said Ald. Ray Lopez (15^th), a member of the council’s Aviation Committee. “She makes $300,000 a year to run our airports. She should take a plane back.”

Midway area resident Kelly Morrison tells aldermen about residents’ concerns that replacement windows are making people sick. (Photo by Kevin Beese/for Chronicle Media)

Frame said that the city’s Aviation Department plans to do air-quality testing to determine if the replacement windows are the reason for the odor complaints. He noted that 10,700 homes in the Midway area have received the replacement windows.

Mort Ames, senior counsel on environment matters for the city’s Law Department, said some windows will be taken to a lab for testing and a yet undetermined number of homes will have eight- to 10-hour air-quality tests.

“We don’t have the data yet to determine what the issue is and what solutions we might entertain,” Ames said. “Once the information is gathered, we can pursue a plan of action.”

Ald. Marty Quinn (13^th), a member of both the Aviation and Finance committees, said the city should err on the side of caution regarding the windows.

“I would like to see as many windows tested in individual homes as possible,” Quinn said. “I want an oversampling. We need to find out why odors are inside people’s homes.”

Anne Prevenas got choked up when she told aldermen about her sister’s sons, ages 13 and 11, who got sick after windows were installed in their home.

“My nephews are very ill,” Prevenas said, fighting back tears, “and there is no explanation for it.”

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