Leading Candidate for Mayor Calls for Environmental Justice and Climate Resiliency to be Incorporated Into All Aspects of Municipal Operations
Mayoral candidate Paul Vallas is releasing his plan for environmental justice and climate action in Chicago, which comes on the heels of a disturbing report that implicates the Lightfoot administration in failing to heed numerous warning signs that could have prevented the disastrous implosion of the Crawford Power Plant in Little Village. The leading candidate’s plan calls for bold action in five key areas that will make Chicago more sustainable and resilient while preventing calamities like the implosion incident.
Vallas’ full environment plan is available here: paulvallas2023.com/environment
“This damning report that shows how the Lightfoot administration botched the Crawford Power Plant implosion and blanketed the residents of an underserved neighborhood in dust just underscores how critical it is for our city to have a real plan for environmental justice and climate resiliency,” said Vallas. “A safe city is a healthy city, and a healthy city is one where environmental justice and climate resiliency are incorporated into all aspects of municipal operations, which will result in a healthy quality of life for all Chicagoans. As Mayor, I will work swiftly towards that goal while putting a stop to the incompetence of the Lightfoot administration.”
Highlights of Vallas’ plan include:
Appointing a citywide environmental advisory council that includes community members from impacted communities.
Partnering with the city’s historically disenfranchised to provide the professional development pathways that integrate them into the growing green economy.
Gathering existing Conditions and Vulnerability Assessments and making them a part of all infrastructure, economic development and public health decisions and strategies.
Implementing specific climate and environment action plans in the areas of Water Access, Land Management, Waste Reduction, Clean Air and Energy Efficiency.