>>> COOK COUNTY IS THE WORST NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE COUNTRY, WHEN IT COMES TO SMOG.

THAT IS ACCORDING TO NEW DATA FROM THE U.S.

ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY, THE HEALTH DAMAGING SMOKE CAN TRAVEL HUNDREDS OF MILES TO NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, INCLUDING NORTH TO WISCONSIN.

NOW, A NEW PLAN ALLOWS THE FEDERAL AGENCY TO PLACE STRICTER LIMITS ON LARGE ORDERS AND REDUCE EMISSIONS BY 2026.

JOINING US NOW WITH MORE ARE PHILIP , FACULTY MEMBER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO ILLINOIS, IT IS OUTREACH MANAGER AT NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL, AND LUCAS ORTIZ, DIRECTOR OF CLEAN POWER AT LAKE COUNTY.

THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US TODAY BUT I WANTED IT WAS GINA, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

WHAT DID YOU TAKE AWAY FROM THIS WRITTEN REPORT?

WAS IT SURPRISING?

>> IT WAS NOT VERY SURPRISING, GROWING UP ON THE SOUTHEAST SIDE OF CHICAGO WHICH IS A BORDER TOWN TO INDIANA, WHICH HOUSES THE BP REFINERY, WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST REFINERIES IN THE COUNTRY.

SO, I KIND OF EXPERIENCED THAT INTERSTATE POLLUTION DAY IN AND DAY OUT, AND SAW THE HEALTH DISPARITIES THAT COME WITH THAT, THE EXPERIENCE OF FOUL ODORS, THE ASTHMA RATES , AND YOU KNOW, OUR AIR MONITORS ARE REGISTERING SOME OF THE WORST AIR QUALITY IN THE STATE.

SO, I WAS NOT TOO SURPRISED.

>> HOW ABOUT YOU, DULCE?

>> SAME AS GINA, SADLY.

WE ARE NOT SURPRISED BY THIS.

IN OUR AREA, WHICH IS LAKE COUNTY, WE HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY POLLUTION .

WE ARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY, MAJORITY LATINO, IMMIGRANT AND LATINO.

IT IS REALLY DISHEARTENING, SAME AS GINA, IT SEEMS LIKE THE STORY DOES NOT REALLY CHANGE WHEN YOU GO THROUGH COMMUNITIES.

WE ALSO HAVE ONE OF THE HIGH RATES OF ASTHMA HERE AT WAUKEGAN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ONE OUT OF THREE CHILDREN SUFFER FROM ASTHMA OR ASTHMA -LIKE SYMPTOMS, WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE NATURAL RATE.

THAT IS NOT SURPRISING, BUT ALSO VERY DISTURBING.

>> NOW THAT YOU MENTION THAT, DULCE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HIGH ASTHMA RATES IN WAUKEGAN CHILDREN.

HOW HAS AIR POLLUTION PLAYED A ROLE IN THE COMMUNITY?

>> AIR POLLUTION HAS SEVERELY IMPACTED OUR HEALTH.

WE DID HAVE A COAL PLANT RIGHT ON OUR LAKEFRONT.

WE WORKED VERY HARD TO HAVE A JUST TRANSITION.

WE DID TRANSITION THAT COAL PLANT OUT LAST YEAR IN JUNE.

I THINK THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE.

I THINK, ALONG WITH THE COAL PLANT, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE BIGGEST POLLUTERS, AND THEN THE SMOG FROM COOK COUNTY, THIS IS WHY EVERY YEAR LAKE COUNTY WAS RATED WITH AN F FOR AIR QUALITY, WE HAVE ONE OF THE WORST AIR QUALITIES, AND OF COURSE, THAT IS GOING TO COME UP IN HEALTH IMPACTS ON THE OVERALL COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

-- PRESENTATIONS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO EDUCATE ABOUT OUR COAL PLANT, WHICH I DID NOT KNOW EXISTED.

I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS A FACTORY UNTIL SOMEONE EDUCATED ME ON IT.

EVERY TIME I DO A PRESENTATION, I WOULD ASK THE KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE FRIENDS OR FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE ASTHMA?

ABOUT 98% OF THE HANDS WOULD GO UP.

OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW THAT IS NOT NORMAL.

WE KNOW THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SHOULD DO MORE TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES LIKE OURS.

>> DEFINITELY.

WE NEVER WANT TO HEAR OUR CHILDREN ARE SUFFERING FROM ASTHMA.

PHILIP, WHAT IS LEADING TO ALL THIS AIR POLLUTION IN CHICAGO AND NEIGHBORING AREAS?

>> THANK YOU, ALEX.

ONE THING WE REALLY HAD TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT SMOG IS EXTENSIVE, FROM ATMOSPHERE , GROUND LAYER, OZONE.

FACILITY DO NOT CREATE GOES ON.

THEY CREATE PRECURSORS TO OZONE.

THE EPA HAS IDENTIFIED THIS AS PRIMARILY NITROGEN OXIDE.

SO, WHEN WE ARE REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MEDIATE THIS, HOW TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITIES, IT IS ADDRESSING THE ISSUE THAT, IN THE SOUTHWEST SIDE, WE HAVE A HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF RAIL YARDS THAN L.A. COUNTY.

WE HAVE MORE TRUCKS GOING IN AND OUT OF THOSE AREAS.

THOSE TRUCKS CAUSE POLLUTION.

>> CAN YOU SHARE BRIEFLY WITH US HOW THE GOOD NEIGHBOR PLAN WILL WORK?

HOW IT MIGHT ACTUALLY AFFECT POLLUTION?

>> IN ILLINOIS, WE DO NOT HAVE BIG POWER PLANTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE THE BIG POLLUTERS.

SO, WE ARE FOCUSING ON NON-ELECTRIC GENERATING UNITS.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TIERS, TIER ONE AND TIER TWO, BUT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THIS POLLUTION, WHICH ARE THESE HIGH-POLLUTION FACILITIES.

SO, WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT HOW WE LOWER THAT THE MISSION BENCHMARK.

MY COLLEAGUES AND I AT USC HAVE BEEN REALLY WORKING ON THAT.

>> GINA, BACK TO YOU, AS WE KNOW, THEY ARE CONCENTRATING POLLUTERS IN BLACK AND BROWN NEIGHBORHOODS.

HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE QUALITY OF LIFE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS?

>> WE KNOW COMMUNITIES OF COLOR ARE AT FIRST AND WORST.

WE ARE THE ONES THAT LIVE RIGHT NEXT TO THESE FACILITIES, AND HAVE BEEN SOUNDING THE ALARM FOR YEARS.

BUT NOW, IT IS CLEAR THAT THIS IMPACT EVERYONE, EVEN AT AN INTERSTATE LEVEL, WHEN IT COMES TO SMOG.

SO, WE REALLY NEED TO GET TO THE ROOT OF THIS PROBLEM, WHICH IS FIXING BROKEN LAND USE AND ZONING POLICIES AT THE CITY LEVEL.

WE NEED TO GO MICRO AND ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM.

IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THE SOUTHEAST SIDE, THERE ARE OVER 100 INDUSTRIES THAT LINEUP ALONG THE RIVER BUT WE FEEL THAT BURDEN OF POLLUTION ON OUR HEALTH, ON OUR FOOD SYSTEMS, ON OUR TRANSPORTATION.

YOU KNOW, ECONOMICALLY, WE ARE IN DESPAIR, HERE.

SO, I THINK PASSING STATE LEGISLATION AND CITY ORDINANCES TO ADDRESS THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF POLLUTION CAN GO A LONG WAY.

>> IS THERE ALSO, YOU THINK, MORE TO BE DONE ABOUT AIR POLLUTION?

>> ABSOLUTELY, THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO BE DONE.

I THINK, ALONG WITH WHAT GINA HAS STATED, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I BELIEVE THAT THE GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES HAVE BEEN SET UP TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES , BUT THEY SHOULD DO A BETTER JOB OF DOING SO.

I THINK, FROM MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THEY HAVE NOT DONE MUCH.

I FEEL LIKE WE ARE ALWAYS FIGHTING WITH THE AIR, BECAUSE WE THINK THESE AGENCIES ARE THERE TO PROTECT US, BUT SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE THEY ARE WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH INDUSTRY, AND THE INDUSTRY GET WHAT THEY WANT TO CONTINUE OPERATION, TO CONTINUE PROFITING FROM THEIR BUSINESSES AT THE COST OF OUR HEALTH.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK THE ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY , THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, SHOULD HAVE CONCERTED STRONGER EFFORTS TO REALLY PROTECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES, ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE COMMUNITIES, JUST LIKE WAUKEGAN, JUST LIKE THE SOUTHEAST SIDE.

THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING TO DO.

>> THANK YOU, DULCE.

PHILIP, SAME QUESTION, BUT WE HAVE LESS THAN 30 SECONDS.

WHAT ELSE CAN WE DO?

>> WE HAVE TO START PUTTING IN EXTRA SIZE AND EFFORT FOR CLEAN ENERGY JOBS FOR THE WORKING CLASS.

THIS IS NOT JUST FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES, THESE ARE UNION JOBS THAT WE CAN PULL