Published at: 2025
The South Side of Chicago has long been victim to increased environmental hazards. The city’s most polluted communities— home to steel mills, coal plans, storage facilities, and manufacturing plants that lead to increased air, water, and ground pollution which negatively impact the health of these residents— are predominately low income communities of color. Decades of unjust policies and practices have left low income communities of color in neighborhoods that are overburdened with toxicity and health hazards when compared to the city’s white and higher income neighborhoods. Systemic racism and socio-economic stratification in Chicago manifests in increased pollution, climate risk, infrastructure disinvestment, and community health concerns.