Southeast Chicago Ambient Air Quality Analysis
U.S. EPA is committed to improving air quality in southeast Chicago and addressing concerns about cumulative impacts of air emissions from 250 regulated facilities located there. In April 2021, in response to residents’ ongoing concerns about their air quality, EPA initiated an analysis of existing air monitoring data. EPA’s Southeast Chicago Ambient Air Quality Analysis compiles the data in a format designed to inform the community about air quality where they live, work, learn and play.
Southeast Chicago Ambient Air Quality Analysis - October 2021 (pdf)
EPA shared the report with the City of Chicago to help inform its assessment of the health impact of the Reserve Management Group’s pending permit application. EPA’s report compiles air monitoring data for several pollutants from two representative monitoring sites: George Washington High School (3535 East 114th Street) and South Water Filtration Plant (3300 East Cheltenham Place). EPA compared this data with data from other sites in and around Chicago.
EPA’s report only covers monitored air pollutants, not other pollution indicators, and is not intended to provide a full evaluation of impacts in this community. Additionally, since there are a limited number of monitoring locations, ambient air monitoring networks cannot characterize all the variability that may exist across an urban area.
As former EPA Administrator Michael Regan emphasized in his May 2021 letter to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, EPA is committed to working collaboratively “to address our shared environmental priorities, advance equity and improve the health of all residents.”
EPA Administrator Letter to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot (pdf)