Environmental Justice
Cook County’s Department of Environment and Sustainability (DES) is establishing an environmental justice policy, which can help inform and guide programming and policy decision-making across the Offices Under the President. Environmental justice is a key component of DES’ mission as well as one of the objectives of the Cook County Policy Roadmap and its Sustainable Communities pillar, which focuses on advancing environmental justice by means such as investing equitably across the County to address historic disinvestment and inequitable pollution overburden.
Responding to the compounding effects of environmental inequities and preparation for additional challenges resulting from climate change are crucial aspects of the County’s strategic plan. Cook County is working internally to build interdepartmental coordination regarding environmental concerns in overburdened communities.
In the development of this policy, the County is committed to seeking the input and knowledge of communities that have been historically overburdened by pollution and have experienced historic disinvestment.
Cook County, Public Input Requested on Draft Environmental Justice Policy
Cook County has released a draft of its environmental justice policy and is looking for public input. This policy was co-developed by an internal environmental justice working group and an Environmental Justice Community Advisory Committee. Please review the draft policy and complete the form below to submit feedback. Responses will be collected until midnight February 7, 2025.
Click here to review the environmental justice policy draft in English
A Spanish language version of the draft policy will be available here soon.
Provide your input on the environmental justice policy here
Brinde su opinión sobre la política de justicia ambiental aquí
For assistance with this policy in Polish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog, Arabic, or any other language, please contact us at ej@cookcountyil.gov.
The public is also invited to attend environmental justice town halls to share their input.
Please register here to attend a town hall
Regístrese aquí para asistir a una asamblea pública
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Niles North High School
9800 North Lawler Ave
Skokie, IL 60077
Wednesday, January 22, 2025
6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Cicero Public Library
5225 W Cermak Rd.
Cicero, IL 60804
Monday, January 27, 2025
6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
South Suburban College
15800 State St.
South Holland, IL 60473
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Virtual – Via Zoom
Click here to register for the Zoom Session
Monday, February 3, 2025
6 P.M. to 7:30 P.M.
Malcolm X College
1900 W. Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL 60612
Cook County Environmental Justice Survey
On October 9, 2024, DES released its Environmental Justice Survey Report (available in Spanish here) summarizing the results of an online environmental justice survey that was launched in June 2024. The results from this survey will inform the development of the County’s environmental justice policy.
The survey encouraged those who live and work in Cook County to share their concerns about environmental impacts on their communities. The County sought the feedback to help inform their work to establish an environmental justice policy which will be used to guide programming and policy decision-making across the Offices Under the President.
Any questions? Please email: ej@cookcountyil.gov