Environmental Enforcement Accountability
Campaign Overview
For twenty years, environmental enforcement in Chicago neighborhoods that needed it most fell short in lifting the burden of pollution. We track what the city actually does, holding officials accountable for the impact they have on our neighborhoods.
Status: Ongoing
Led by: CEJN with partner organizations.
Scope: Citywide
Chicago has environmental regulations, and companies operating in our neighborhoods are required to follow them, and the city and state are required to make sure they do. A review of two decades of enforcement data found that requirement met unevenly, with the gap widest in the neighborhoods carrying the heaviest pollution load.
The Problem
We track what the city and state actually enforce, and we make that record public. This work also shapes how we approach new legislation. Passing a law is one stage. Writing enforcement into it, and then watching the enforcement, is the rest of the job. It is why we describe SB 3772 as a beginning.
What We Do
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