Over the past decade, the Koppers coal tar plant, situated on the border of the town of Cicero and the village of Stickney, has been flagged for more than 50 violations of state environmental laws.
After the Illinois EPA sent them a lengthy violations notice last fall, Koppers executives began selling stock at an unprecedented rate. After MuckRock and the Cicero Independiente reported on those violations, the publicly-traded company hired a crisis communications firm to meet with elected officials and manage the community fallout.
The Illinois Pollution Control Board denied Lakeshore Recycling Systems' application to open a controversial waste station after failing to properly notify a nearby property owner.
The heat mapping study, dubbed Heat Watch Chicago, showed that neighborhoods on the city's South Side were the hottest and residents there were the most vulnerable to extreme weather.
As Cicero recovers from historic summer floods, some residents believe the city fell short in communicating support and resources for the town’s majority immigrant population.
Just days after Illinois Gov. Pritzker shut down a proposed shelter due to health concerns, Venezuelan migrants living in the Pilsen shelter say they are being treated “like dogs.’’
Mixed immigration status families in Cicero and other Chicago-area towns can still apply for federal assistance if they were impacted by the July storms.
In a region where communities of color are most impacted by flooding, RainReady is bringing together community members to create flood mitigation plans.
Throughout the Great Lakes region, archaic wastewater systems, crumbling infrastructure and segregated housing create a perfect storm of flooding vulnerability.
Amid environmental concerns, residents questioned the need for a second waste station in their community and wanted to know what measures will be taken to mitigate increased pollution.
Chicago has experienced more frequent and severe storms in recent decades, putting immigrants and low income Chicagoans living in basement units at increased risk of flooding.
West Chicago residents are concerned about the environmental impact of Lakeshore Recycling Systems’ proposed waste transfer station, half a mile from an existing station.