Already have an account? Sign in

Sign Up

Sign up for our FREE newsletter today and have the latest stories from the Evanston RoundTable delivered directly to your inbox.

OR

By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.

Thank you for registering!

An account was already registered with this email.
Please check your inbox for an authentication link.

Become a member today!

For over 20 years, the Evanston RoundTable has met the needs of our city through its award-winning journalism. Help us build a sustainable nonprofit source of trustworthy journalism for our community - become a member today!

$
$
$

Your contribution is appreciated.

Sign up for our free newsletter and have the latest stories from the Evanston RoundTable delivered directly to your inbox.

  • Sign In
  • CITY NEWS
  • SCHOOLS
  • ART & LIFE
  • PUBLIC SQUARE
  • SPORTS
  • BUSINESS
  • CALENDAR
  • PHOTOS
  • GET THE NEWSLETTER
  • DONATE NOW!
  • About us
  • Advisory Committee
  • Donate
  • Advertise
  • Join the RoundTable team
  • Evanston History
  • Reparations
  • Evanston Rules
  • Read us on your mobile device
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • RSS
Skip to content
Evanston RoundTable

Evanston RoundTable

Evanston's community newspaper since 1998

Sign In
Posted inPublic Square

Environmental Justice Evanston marks one year since City passed resolution, outlines work ahead

by Submitted October 8th, 2021October 9th, 2021

Share this:

Sign up for our free newsletter to have Evanston news delivered directly to your inbox every weekday!


Environmental Justice Evanston is commemorating the recent one-year anniversary of Evanston’s Environmental Justice Resolution by outlining our accomplishments since the resolution was unanimously adopted by the City Council in September 2020. We are also previewing the work that remains to be done to ensure all residents of Evanston will benefit from the achievement of Citywide environmental justice.

EJE is a committee of Citizens’ Greener Evanston, and we were instrumental in the drafting and adoption of the Environmental Justice Resolution. We have continued to work tirelessly since then to assure the City will as soon as possible meet its commitments under the resolution. 

In the last year, EJE has undertaken the following projects in an effort to move environmental justice forward:

  • Working with community and neighborhood groups. We have coordinated with local residents who are dealing with environmental just concerns. For example, we have worked with residents in the Ninth Ward to better understand the environmental problems posed by certain commercial activities in the area bounded by Oakton Street, Hartrey Avenue, Cleveland Street and the North Shore Channel, and their impact on nearby neighbors.
  • Preparing guidance for reporting environmental justice problems. We have prepared a detailed set of guidelines to assist local residents who need to investigate and report environmental justice problems.  These guidelines are in a document titled “Environmental Justice Playbook: A Step-by-Step Guide to Addressing Your Environmental Justice Issue.” Please contact us if you want a copy.
  • Developing an environmental justice mapping tool. We have spearheaded the development of the “active GIS-based inventory of environmental justice areas” required by the Environmental Justice Resolution. We refer to this as the “mapping tool.” When completed, the tool will show the relationship between key environmental indicators and neighborhoods in the City.  We have collaborated with City staff and outside resources (such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency), and we were selected for an incubator grant from Northwestern University under which experts from Northwestern will assist us with the development of the mapping tool.
  • Working with local officials on next steps. We have stayed in touch with local officials – including the Mayor, City Council members and key City staff – about our ongoing efforts to advance the requirements of the Environmental Justice Resolution. We are actively working with these officials on how the City can meet its commitments under the Resolution to move environmental justice forward in Evanston.

Our goal is for the City to adopt a mitigation plan that will put in place the policies, practices and procedures needed to ensure that environmental justice is achieved for all residents of Evanston. To do this, we are advocating that an environmental justice investigation be undertaken that will closely examine the nature, extent and causes of environmental justice in Evanston, and that will involve input from and face-to-face discussions with affected residents in all quarters of the City. 

We also recommend hiring a consultant to assist with the investigation, using American Rescue Plan Act funds to pay for the consultant. This investigation will culminate in a set of recommendations that would serve as the basis for the City’s environmental justice mitigation plan. 

Over the upcoming months we expect to work with the Mayor, City Council members, City staff and residents to assure the commitments of the Environmental Justice Resolution are acted upon. We look forward to the community’s support in this effort.

Please feel free to contact us with questions or comments you might have at ej@greenerevanston.org.

Janet Alexander Davis and Rick Nelson,
Co-chairs, Environmental Justice Evanston

Become a member of the Roundtable!

Did you know that the Evanston RoundTable is a nonprofit newsroom? Become a member today to support community journalism!

$
$
$

Your contribution is tax-deductible. We appreciate your support!

Latest News

  • Update: CTA lines back after power loss and evacuation on Yellow Line – cause unknown January 27th, 2023
  • Latest news from Evanston: Your Friday daily digest January 27th, 2023
  • Born into Evanston basketball, Zuri Ransom is now a star of it January 26th, 2023
  • Rats, safety dominate Eighth Ward community meeting January 26th, 2023
  • The story behind Evanston’s ‘Stitch’ January 26th, 2023

Trending

  • Rent hikes displacing tenants in city's southeast section
  • Police: After armed altercation, second incident on Crawford was case of mistaken identity
  • Metal detectors, academic gaps, teacher morale: Q&A with ETHS Superintendent Marcus Campbell
  • The story behind Evanston's 'Stitch'
  • Evanston police get major pay boost under new contracts 
  • Second ward weighs Ryan Field and redistricting
  • D65 plans community meetings for Fifth Ward school project
  • Born into Evanston basketball, Zuri Ransom is now a star of it
  • Harley Clarke mansion lease ‘built on quicksand’
  • Art Makers Outpost enlivens south Evanston
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • RSS
  • Home
  • City News
  • Schools
  • Art & Life
  • Public Square
  • Sports
  • Community Calendar
  • Reports & Analyses
  • Obituaries
  • Submit an obituary
  • Podcasts and video
  • Reparations
  • Evanston History
  • Our mission
  • About us
  • Board of Directors
  • Advisory Committee
  • Diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Become a member
  • Get the newsletter
  • Read us on your mobile device
  • Submit a letter to the editor
  • Advertise with us
  • Contact us
  • Evanston RoundTable privacy notice

The Evanston RoundTable is the community’s leading source of news about local government, schools, civic and artistic activities, and other important issues facing our city. We seek to foster civic engagement and empower people to address complex issues facing our diverse community, promoting a better understanding and appreciation of people of all races, ethnicities, and income levels.

Evanston Roundtable
1514 Elmwood Avenue
Suite 2
Evanston, Illinois 60201
847.864.7741

© 2023 Evanston RoundTable Media NFP. Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic Evanston RoundTable privacy notice
I don't have an account I already have an account

Sign In

We've recently sent you an authentication link. Please, check your inbox!

Sign in with a password below, or sign in using your email.

Get a code sent to your email to sign in, or sign in using a password.

Enter the code you received via email to sign in, or sign in using a password.

Sign in with your email

Lost your password?

Try a different email

Send another code

Sign in with a password

OR

By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Conditions.