Altgeld Gardens Homes

Last updated
Altgeld Gardens Homes
Altgeld Gardens.jpg
2009 photograph of the Altgeld Gardens housing project.
Altgeld Gardens Homes
General information
LocationBounded by 130th and 134th Streets and S. Doty and St. Lawrence Avenues
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Coordinates 41°39′19.08″N87°36′10.80″W / 41.6553000°N 87.6030000°W / 41.6553000; -87.6030000
Status1,541 units (renovated)
Construction
Constructed1944–45
Other information
Governing
body		 Chicago Housing Authority

Altgeld Gardens Homes is a Chicago Housing Authority (CHA) public housing project on the far south side of Chicago, Illinois, United States, on the border of Chicago and Riverdale, Illinois. The residents are 97% African-American according to the 2000 United States Census. [1] Built between 1944 and 1945 with 1,498 units, the development consists primarily of two-story row houses spread over 190 acres (0.77 km2).

Contents

History

Altgeld Gardens was built by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to satisfy the need for improved housing for African American veterans returning from World War II. In 1956, the project was transferred to the Chicago Housing Authority. Located in an industrial area on Chicago's far South side, Altgeld was named after John Peter Altgeld, an Illinois governor in the 1890s. As one of the first public housing developments ever built in the United States, it is eligible to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places. [2]

In the early 21st century, 3,400 residents live in the Altgeld / Murray complex. This complex includes public schools within its borders, and the Housing Authority has maintenance staff, on-site social services, and medical facilities for residents. Altgeld Gardens' northern boundary is 130th Street, its southern boundary is 134th Street, the eastern boundary is the campus of George Washington Carver Military Academy (formerly known as George Washington Carver Area High School) a public 4-year public high school and the Beaubien Woods Forest Preserve of Cook County.[ citation needed ]

Altgeld Gardens is regarded as the birthplace of the environmental justice movement. [3]

Toxic Donut

Altgeld Gardens was nicknamed Chicago's 'toxic donut' due to having the highest concentration of hazardous waste sites in the United States. There were 50 landfills and 382 industrial facilities surrounding the area, including the Acme Steel plant and the Pullman factory, with many of the sites unregulated. [4] There were also 250 leaking underground storage tanks. The sites surrounded rivers and lakes, making the water quality toxic for human consumption and recreation. Toxicology studies revealed high and dangerous levels of lead, mercury, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), heavy metals, and xylene. [4] Residents were exposed to hazardous fumes from nearby factories and asbestos in construction material for tile and insulation. The drinking water was contaminated and had the highest cancer rate in Chicago. [5]

These factors contributed to health burdens in the community through water and air pollution, including asthma and respiratory illness. There was a chemical odor in the air that stung residents' noses. The water had a light bronze color and came through the water pipes with little to no pressure. [5] A survey found that 51% of pregnancies in 1992 reported birth abnormalities. [5]

People for Community Recovery

In 1979, Hazel M. Johnson, a resident of Altgeld Gardens, mobilized community members to speak up against the environmental injustices and environmental racism her community faced and created the People for Community Recovery. The level of conflict and mobilization peaked in the 1980s and 1990s, where one of their first environmental victories was successfully lobbying the city and state to install water lines and sewer lines for Maryland Manor, home to many senior citizens. [5] The residents of Maryland Manor were paying city taxes for 25 years for contaminated water extracted from wells where a film of chemicals such as cyanide floated on top. [5]

In 1980, the People for Community Recovery organized a grassroots campaign in the project to advocate for the removal of fiberglass and asbestos insulation from the complex flats. [3] Former US President Barack Obama participated in this campaign during his early years as a local community organizer and wrote about his experience in Dreams From My Father. [3]

The People for Community Recovery continued to protest to improve the conditions of their community. The group successfully made companies accountable to clean up the pollution they created on the environment. A company that once utilized electrical transformers had to clean up oil the machinery burned. [5] Operators of the Pullman Company railroad cars had to properly dispose sludge waste from former operations. [5] The organization also trained Chicago Housing Authority workers focusing on the Altgeld Gardens' development on environmental lead dust reduction during the apartment's renovation period in 2002. [6] The People for Community Recovery began to see improvements in their environment, although there were still issues that needed to be addressed.

The work of Hazel Johnson and the People for Community Recovery influenced President Clinton to sign Executive Order 12898 which called for the Environmental Protection Agency to incorporate environmental justice principles into their work so that no groups of people may be disproportionately burdened by the consequences of pollution. [3]

Existing conditions

Altgeld Gardens is a 99% minority public housing community hosting 8,000 community members, 90% of which are black and 63% of which are living below the poverty line. [7] There is the highest percentage of people living in poverty and the lowest per capita income in the city. [7] In 2015, the community's per capita income was $11,515 compared to the poverty threshold of $12,082. [7]

Numerous manufacturing plants, steel mills, landfills, and waste dumps border the 190 acre Altgeld Gardens site. The residents have a growing concern about the number of deaths annually from cancer and other diseases that may be related to environmental hazards of their industrial neighborhood. [8] The community's status as low-income and minority gives them less political clout that enables toxic conditions to thrive. However, community organizing such as through the People for Community Recovery is making positive steps towards environmental justice. According to Cheryl Johnson, the head of People for Community Recovery, health problems of the Altgeld Gardens community include lead poisoning, asthma, bronchitis, and other respiratory diseases. [6] Although most of the lead contamination stemmed from lead-based paint, there is lead contamination in the soil. [3]

In 2013, the 55th Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emanuel eliminated the city's Department of Environment due to budgetary concerns. [9] This provides less government help toward alleviating environmental burdens on communities, particularly communities of color. Therefore, the People for Community Recovery are still actively organizing to clean up their neighborhood for healthier living conditions. For example, the organization started programs and workshops to teach community members on lead poisoning prevention to share with their friends and neighbors. [6] One topic discusses nutrition, as fatty foods can increase the absorption rate of lead in children's blood. [6]

Community Air Management Program

Starting in August 2017, the Altgeld Gardens community began a community air management program to record toxic air levels in the area to influence government to make policy changes. [6] Data recorded will help inform residents to make decisions about community mobilization and influence policy change, especially when lack of government funding prevents government entities from doing so. [6]

Solar and Green Jobs

In May 2018, the Chicago Housing Authority signed a $145,000 contract to develop and implement a solar and energy efficiency training curriculum for residents to promote entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency. In October of the same year, the city of Chicago called for developers to construct a solar farm on a brownfield next to the community. This project is part of a city initiative to build ground-mounted solar farms on 30 acres of brownfield land on several sites across the city to work toward 100% renewable energy power for public housing [10] The Future Energy Jobs Act will provide money and resources to this project, as part of the Act's allocation of $750 million funds programs that provide training for new energy jobs, such as solar installers and efficiency auditors. [11]

The implementation of solar and green jobs stemmed from the organizing work of the People for Community Recovery. The organization hopes to decrease unemployment rates, as the unemployment rate for Riverdale is five times the citywide average. [12] Community members that are employed commute over an hour per trip. Providing jobs nearby the community will cut commute times and increase employment rates.

Issues

In 2017, the Trump administration proposed a 31% budget cut for the Environmental Protection Agency, which would lay off 19% of the current workforce. [13] Without proper funding, the EPA cannot fund programs aimed to lower carbon emissions to reduce the impact on climate change and protect air and water quality. [6] Programs aimed to clean up regional pollution such as Lake Michigan bordering Chicago would lose an estimated $427 million for spending. [13] Superfund site program funding would drop from $762 million to $330 million. The EPA's enforcement division would also see a 31% cut, rendering a loss for environmental justice pursuits as the enforcement division has the power to fine companies that pollute. [13] In addition to budget cuts, Head of the EPA Scott Pruitt has proposed to remove the environmental justice program within the EPA. [6]

Without the help of the EPA, the community is left to collect data to show proof of health burdens and the need for policy change.

On December 19, 2018, the Federal Lead Action Plan was unveiled that provides a model for reducing childhood lead exposures. [14] The Plan is under the President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children, which was issued by President Clinton through Executive Order 13045 in April 1997 [15] There is an emphasis on childhood health due to the neurological, immunological, and digestive development during these critical years. [15] Exposure to lead can have long-term consequences, and children have high risks of exposure. [15] Minority children, in particular, are disproportionately burdened of lead exposures. [15] The goals are to:

However, experts on childhood lead exposure point out the Plan's failure to fully commit to the elimination of lead poisoning, provide concrete timelines, improve federal standards and regulations to speed up intervention times, specify which environmental groups and public health advocates they will gather input from, and specify where the funding comes from [16] In fact, the word "eliminate" fails to appear in the action plan report compared to the task force's 2016 report, which included primary prevention, environmental justice, and the elimination of lead poisoning. [16] Experts also point out that the 2018 Plan calls to re-evaluate lead contamination reports that have already been studied rather than collect data from new areas. [16] Specification and commitment from the Plan and its operators will improve childhood lead exposure.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Environmental Protection Agency</span> U.S. federal government agency

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent agency of the United States government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it began operation on December 2, 1970, after Nixon signed an executive order. The order establishing the EPA was ratified by committee hearings in the House and Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxic waste</span> Any unwanted material which can cause harm

Toxic waste is any unwanted material in all forms that can cause harm. Mostly generated by industry, consumer products like televisions, computers, and phones contain toxic chemicals that can pollute the air and contaminate soil and water. Disposing of such waste is a major public health issue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental health</span> Public health branch focused on environmental impacts on human health

Environmental health is the branch of public health concerned with all aspects of the natural and built environment affecting human health. In order to effectively control factors that may affect health, the requirements that must be met in order to create a healthy environment must be determined. The major sub-disciplines of environmental health are environmental science, toxicology, environmental epidemiology, and environmental and occupational medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry</span> US federal agency

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal public health agency within the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The agency focuses on minimizing human health risks associated with exposure to hazardous substances. It works closely with other federal, state, and local agencies; tribal governments; local communities; and healthcare providers. Its mission is to "Serve the public through responsive public health actions to promote healthy and safe environments and prevent harmful exposures." ATSDR was created as an advisory, nonregulatory agency by the Superfund legislation and was formally organized in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superfund</span> US federal program to investigate / clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances

Superfund is a United States federal environmental remediation program established by the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA). The program is administered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The program is designed to investigate and cleanup sites contaminated with hazardous substances. Sites managed under this program are referred to as Superfund sites. There are 40,000 federal Superfund sites across the country, and approximately 1,300 of those sites have been listed on the National Priorities List (NPL). Sites on the NPL are considered the most highly contaminated and undergo longer-term remedial investigation and remedial action (cleanups).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toxic Substances Control Act of 1976</span> United States federal law

The Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) is a United States law, passed by the 94th United States Congress in 1976 and administered by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that regulates chemicals not regulated by other U.S. federal statutes, including chemicals already in commerce and the introduction of new chemicals. When the TSCA was put into place, all existing chemicals were considered to be safe for use and subsequently grandfathered in. Its three main objectives are to assess and regulate new commercial chemicals before they enter the market, to regulate chemicals already existing in 1976 that posed an "unreasonable risk of injury to health or the environment", as for example PCBs, lead, mercury and radon, and to regulate these chemicals' distribution and use.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riverdale, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

Riverdale is one of the 77 official community areas of Chicago, Illinois and is located on the city's far south side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental issues in New York City</span>

Environmental issues in New York City are affected by the city's size, density, abundant public transportation infrastructure, and location at the mouth of the Hudson River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Harlem Environmental Action</span> Nonprofit organization

WE ACT for Environmental Justice is a nonprofit environmental justice organization based in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. The organization was founded in March 1988 to mobilize community opposition to the city's operation of the North River Sewage Treatment Plant, and the siting of the sixth bus depot in Northern Manhattan.

Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials into the atmosphere, causing harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or damaging ecosystems. Air pollution can cause health problems including, but not limited to, infections, behavioral changes, cancer, organ failure, and premature death. These health effects are not equally distributed across the U.S population; there are demographic disparities by race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and education. Air pollution can derive from natural sources, or anthropogenic sources. Anthropogenic air pollution has affected the United States since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment</span> American specialized government agency

The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, commonly referred to as OEHHA, is a specialized department within the cabinet-level California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA) with responsibility for evaluating health risks from environmental chemical contaminants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Uranium mining and the Navajo people</span> Effects of uranium mining on Navajo

Uranium mining and the Navajo people began in 1944 in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico, and southeastern Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kettleman Hills Hazardous Waste Facility</span> Hazardous waste and municipal solid waste disposal facility

The Kettleman Hills Hazardous Waste Facility is a large hazardous waste and municipal solid waste disposal facility, operated by Waste Management, Inc. The landfill is located at 35.9624°N 120.0102°W, 3.5 mi (5.6 km) southwest of Kettleman City on State Route 41 in the western San Joaquin Valley, Kings County, California.

The Environmental Health Coalition (EHC) is an organization founded in 1980 by Diane Takvorian and Tony Pettina, and includes a staff of 19 other individuals. Its goal is to achieve environmental and social justice in San Diego, California. Its work mainly concerns low income communities and communities of color in San Diego. It also works to affect public policy both locally and nationally. The coalition believes that by working closely with communities, it will be able to help mitigate the excessive amounts of pollution and other environmental hazards such as hazardous air pollution (HAPs), toxic waste disposal facilities, or superfund sites. One of its main goals is to prevent environmental injustice in San Diego and use that work to influence national environmental justice issues. Its mission statement is as follows:

Communities for a Better Environment (CBE), previously known as Citizens for a Better Environment, is a policy-focused non-profit organization started in 1971 by Marc Anderson and David Come in Chicago, Illinois. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, CBE expanded to California, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. CBE established itself in San Francisco in 1978 and expanded to Los Angeles in 1982. Today, CBE is based in Oakland, CA and Huntington Park, CA, effecting positive change in communities throughout California, including Richmond, East Oakland, Vernon, Huntington Park, Boyle Heights, Pacoima, Wilmington, and SE Los Angeles. CBE was the first environmental organization to practice door-to-door canvassing by directly involving community members. In 1980, CBE won the United States Supreme Court decision on Village of Schaumburg v. Citizens for a Better Environment 444 U.S. 620, protecting the 1st and 14th Amendment Rights of door-to-door activists with CBE and countless other public interest organizations. CBE's early combination of grassroots organizing with research and legal work provided the innovative edge needed to challenge large-scale industries and refineries, and government policies.

Toxic hotspots are locations where emissions from specific sources such as water or air pollution may expose local populations to elevated health risks, such as cancer. These emissions contribute to cumulative health risks of emissions from other sources nearby. Urban, highly populated areas around pollutant emitters such as old factories and waste storage sites are often toxic hotspots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Exide lead contamination</span> Operations at battery plants that posed a health risk

Exide is one of the world's largest producers, distributors and recyclers of lead-acid batteries. Lead-acid batteries are used in automobiles, golf carts, fork-lifts, electric cars and motorcycles. They are recycled by grinding them open, neutralizing the sulfuric acid, and separating the polymers from the lead and copper. In the US, 97 percent of the lead from car batteries is recycled - which is the highest recycling rate for any commodity. Most states require stores to take back old batteries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazel M. Johnson</span> American environmental activist

Hazel M. Johnson was an environmental activist on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois. She is considered to be the mother of environmental justice.

Environmental racism is a form of institutional racism, in which people of colour bear a disproportionate burden of environmental harms, such as pollution from hazardous waste disposal and the effects of natural disasters. Environmental racism exposes Native Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and Hispanic populations to physical health hazards and may negatively impact mental health. It creates disparities in many different spheres of life, such as transportation, housing, and economic opportunity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neighbors for Environmental Justice</span>

The Neighbors for Environmental Justice (N4EJ) is an environmental justice group located on Chicago's Southwest Side. N4EJ was founded in 2017, in response to happenings of a local asphalt plant, MAT Asphalt. As an environmental organization, N4EJ focuses its efforts on environmental justice, advocacy, public outreach, and education. Additionally, N4EJ collects environmental data and meets with local officials to discuss the prevention of future developments such as MAT Asphalt.

References

  1. ↑ "Journey Through Calumet". Archived from the original on March 17, 2009. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  2. ↑ "IHPA HARGIS". Historic Architectural Resources Geographic Information System.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Amer, Robin (September 4, 2015). "A bus tour stops by polluted Altgeld Gardens".
  4. 1 2 McAvoy, Spencer (January 8, 2014). "Lost in the Shuffle: The future of traditional public housing under the CHA's Plan for Transformation".
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Trice, Dawn Turner (March 10, 2010). "Far South Side environmental activist Hazel Johnson and her daughter 'decided to stay here and fight'". tribunedigital-chicagotribune. Retrieved December 22, 2017.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Chan, Rosalie (June 30, 2017). "The 40-Year Fight to Clean Up One of America's Most Polluted Projects". Tonic.
  7. 1 2 3 Weiss-Randall, Debra (2018). "Utilizing Innovative Technologies to Address the Public Health Impact of Climate Change: Emerging Research and Opportunities". IGI Global.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. ↑ "PCR, What is PCR?". Archived from the original on April 3, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  9. ↑ "For Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, A Mixed Midterm Report Card". NPR. October 19, 2013.
  10. ↑ Stark, Kevin (December 12, 2018). "Solar and green jobs are rising around Chicago's 'toxic doughnut'". Energy News Network. Retrieved May 3, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Future Energy Jobs Act". Citizens Utility Board. May 2019.
  12. ↑ Stark, Kevin (October 25, 2016). "For Riverdale, Red Line extension may be path to employment". The Chicago Reporter. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
  13. 1 2 3 "White House seeks to cut EPA budget 31% as Trump targets regulation". CNBC. Reuters. March 16, 2017.
  14. ↑ "Implementation Status of EPA Actions Under the 2018 Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposures and Associated Health Impacts". EPA. 2019.
  15. 1 2 3 4 "President's Task Force on Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks to Children". August 30, 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 Cabrera, Yvette (December 19, 2018). "Federal Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposure Falls Short, Experts Say". Huffpost.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.