oEPA Environmental
Environmental Protection Justice in Region 5
Agency
2015 Highlights
Some communities are faced
with more environmental
challenges than others are. This
raises environmental justice
(EJ) concerns. Environmental
justice is achieved when
everyone has a healthy
environment and equal access to
decisions about environmental
protection. EPA programs
consider potential EJ concerns
as they issue permits, enforce
environmental laws, and work
with communities throughout
Region 5 to reduce pollution
and improve public health.
EPA strives to reach and assist
communities with potential EJ
concerns. Here are a few EPA
projects from 2015 in
communities with EJ concerns.
settlement includes new air
filtration systems at two area
schools.
EPA removed over 595,000
cubic yards of contaminated
soil and debris around Region
5. For example, EPA safely
removed electronic waste and
soil contaminated with lead
from an abandoned waste
collection facility in Oconto
Falls, WI. EPA worked with
Oconto County Solid Waste to
recycle salvageable waste.
EPA cleaned up nearly
367,000 cubic yards of
contaminated aquifers and
water in Region 5. EPA
worked with the Coast Guard to
manage an oil spill from a
retired power plant in
Cleveland, OFI. EPA will
continue to work with
Cleveland Public Power on
long-term issues.
EPA eliminated about 8.5
million pounds of hazardous
waste in Region 5. Anon-
going project in East Chicago
with Arcelor Mittal Indiana East
continues to remove hazardous
wastes from the site.
EPA worked to eliminate
more than 655,000 pounds of
toxics and pesticides in Region
5. As part of this effort, EPA
worked with communities to
provide training to over 200
head start providers and family
workers on principles of
children's health and healthy
homes. Participants learned
how to reduce exposure to
pesticides and household
chemicals.
EPA reduced air pollutants
by more than 126 million
pounds in Region 5. Our work
in Dearborn, MI is just one
example. EPA reached a
settlement with AK Steel that
reduces particulate matter
emissions from their iron and
steel manufacturing plant. The
EPA reduced water pollutants
by more than 2 million
pounds in Region 5. In
Chicago, EPA made Beaver Oil
Company, a waste treatment
and recycling company,
improve record keeping for over
100,000 gallons of wastewater
per day.

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