The community has expressed great concern over the prevalence of illegal dumping, open burning, abandoned and deteriorating houses, and flooding in largely minority or low-income neighborhoods. The goal of Region 5 for the Gateway community is to improve the quality of life, protect the natural resources, and build sustainable community involvement on local environmental issues. The subgoals address the top regional environmental priorities, as well as other issues of concern to the local community. In FY 97, Region 5 will continue to conduct tire cleanups, demolish abandoned structures, and enhance our partnership with local watershed planning agencies to address persistent flooding. We will also continue to support local efforts to redevelop Brownfields.
Environmental justice remains a high priority.
By offering training such as the Citizens' Environmental Academy and Basic Environmental Law training for local law enforcement, we will promote empowerment in environmental justice communities and build capacity within local organizations to support efforts at environmental stewardship. We will continue to work closely with the Illinois EPA, the Illinois Department of Public Health and other agencies involved in the area. Finally, we will increase our education, outreach, and community involvement, in conjunction with Region 7, to address air-quality issues. Over 4 million people live in the 15-county Northeast Ohio area. Dramatic demographic and economic changes have occurred over the past 40 years.