Residents and health advocates press Evanston to address Waste Transfer Station impacts near high school

More than a dozen residents, community organizers and health professionals urged the APW committee on March 23 to press for stronger mitigation and transparency around the Waste Transfer Station at 1107 Church in Evanston.

At the committee meeting, presenters from the Evanston Environmental Justice Coalition outlined the WTS history and ownership changes dating to the original 1983 approval and a 1984 Illinois EPA permit. "The city did not impose any health and safety protections despite being in a Black residential neighborhood," presenter Janet Alexander Davis said, summarizing the coalition's three goals: document history, outline ongoing community impacts, and present resident testimonials.

Why it matters: Presenters and commenters said the facility sits near a historically Black neighborhood and within walking distance of Evanston Township High School, and they tied the WTS to long-term quality-of-life and health burdens. Dr. Marie Kabia, an obstetrician-gynecologist and pediatric environmental-health affiliate, noted the city has reported "a 13-year difference in life expectancy between Evanston residents" in different areas and urged action to address factors that may contribute to that disparity.

What community members described: Multiple residents described…