A proposed ordinance to block new polluters from already overburdened Chicago neighborhoods remains stuck in committee, as community advocates demand the city take action.
Siri Chilukuri reports for Inside Climate News.
In short:
- The Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance would require companies to assess cumulative environmental and health impacts before building in already polluted areas, with oversight from a new community advisory board.
- The ordinance, introduced in April, has not moved out of the rules committee, despite support from local activists who view it as a critical tool to fight decades of environmental racism.
- With federal pressure absent under the Trump administration, local organizers are intensifying lobbying efforts to pass the ordinance, which they say could serve as a model for other cities.
Key quote:
“It’s not okay for our babies that are three, four years old or elderly who are having difficulty breathing to have to deal with this on a daily basis.”
— Myrna Salgado-Romo, network manager, Chicago Environmental Justice Network
Why this matters:
Low-income communities of color in cities like Chicago face a disproportionate burden of industrial pollution — from toxic air to contaminated soil and water. These neighborhoods, often dubbed “sacrifice zones,” are routinely targeted for new facilities because zoning laws don’t require developers to consider cumulative health risks. This environmental neglect contributes to higher rates of asthma, cancer, and other chronic illnesses. The proposed ordinance would be one of the few in the nation to require comprehensive impact assessments and community input before new development. With federal support for environmental justice fading, cities like Chicago have become frontline battlegrounds in the effort to protect public health from unchecked industrial expansion.
Related: Chicago artists envision justice through a world free from prisons and pollution
