Environmental Justice Conditions of Communities Adjacent to a Proposed Facility in Southwest Chicago

This report is the first application of the UIC MCVD EJ.3 interface to assess the environmental justice conditions of the community near a location proposed for a scrap metal recycling facility. The environmental justice status of the densely populated Southwest Chicago communities is already poor: the residents are underserved, low-income people of color, predominantly Latinx, surrounded by industrial corridors, brownfields, asphalt plants, intermodal railyards, and storage and industrial facilities that are known emitters of hazardous materials. The effect of the proposed facility on further deterioration of the environmental justice status, especially for children, can only be assessed using a cumulative impact assessment approach. The Alderman of the 25th Ward and local community groups requested this report.