Chicago’s Novel Environmental Justice Bill Puts Communities at the Decision Table
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📰 The quick summary: Chicago’s Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance would require companies wanting to locate in already polluted neighborhoods to complete environmental impact assessments and undergo review by a community advisory board.
📈 One key stat: Chicago created a cumulative impact assessment in 2023, which revealed environmental health disparities in neighborhoods disproportionately burdened by industrial pollution.
💬 One key quote: “We’ve never had this process before, it’s something that’s really going to start to help us, and we’re excited,” said Myrna Salgado-Romo, network manager for the Chicago Environmental Justice Network.
1️⃣ The big picture: Chicago is working to pass a landmark environmental justice bill called the Hazel Johnson Cumulative Impacts Ordinance, named after a pioneering environmental justice advocate. The ordinance would require companies proposing new facilities in already polluted areas to complete cumulative impact assessments and face review from a community advisory board. This legislation comes after decades of environmental justice work and a 2022 HUD investigation that found Chicago had a pattern of shifting polluting activities from white neighborhoods to Black and Hispanic communities. While the bill has support from community advocates and environmental groups across the city, it remains in legislative limbo in the rules committee awaiting enough votes to move forward.
2️⃣ Why is this good news: This ordinance represents a significant shift in how Chicago approaches environmental permitting by prioritizing community health in neighborhoods historically overburdened by pollution. The bill goes further than similar legislation in other cities by creating an advisory board with community members who will review new permit proposals. The inclusive development process brought together government officials and local residents to craft the legislation collaboratively, setting a potential blueprint for other cities nationwide. By addressing cumulative impacts of pollution rather than evaluating each facility in isolation, the ordinance tackles systemic environmental racism and could prevent new polluting facilities from further harming vulnerable communities.
3️⃣ What’s next: The bill needs 26 votes from City Council members to schedule it for a full council vote. Environmental activists are now mobilizing community members to pressure their aldermen to support the ordinance. If passed, the city will need to focus on implementation and enforcement to ensure the legislation effectively protects communities.
Read the full story here: Inside Climate News – In Chicago, a Landmark Environmental Justice Bill Inches Toward Passage
