SOUTH DEERING

The site which has chosen for this sustainability overlay district situated near the South Deering neighborhood. It is a Brownfield site that is surrounded by the neighborhoods of Riverdale, Hegewisch, and West Pullman. Among the 77 official community areas within the City of Chicago, Illinois, South Deering is recognized as the largest community and is located on the far south side of the city. This area has an industrial district, with a small group of homes in the northeast corner and Lake Calumet sitting in the far southwestern portion of the community near the site.

HISTORY OF THE SITE

South Deering is the home of the now defunct Wisconsin Steel Works, which is currently not in use and since the closing of the plant, the neighborhood has gone through an economic depression. South Deering is a small community lacking green spaces within the area. South Deering is located in the 10th Ward of Chicago, which was once the under the reign of Alderman Edward Vrdolyak. It was also the home of the now defunct Wisconsin Steel Works, originally the Joseph H. Brown Iron and Steel Company, which had opened back in 1875 as the first steel mill in the Calumet region. Since the closing of the plant, the neighborhood has gone through an economic depression. (South Deering, Chicago, 2016) “The area from 95th to 103rd and from Baltimore Avenue to Manistee is commonly referred to”Slag Valley" as there was a discharge of slag material from the former steel plants piled in the area." (EPA, 2002) . The slag waste from the steel plants released to the Calumet River affected the local water resources. The discharge of the chemical waste from the industries negatively impacted the quality of drinking water and endangered the health and well-being of the community. Due to the economic depression that swept through the neighborhood, the lands surrounding the contamination areas went under-developed and untreated turning into potential Brownfields. The Lake Calumet Cluster Site (LCC) is one of the possible sites that come under National Priority List ( NPL) that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognizes as highly contaminated. This site is currently registered as an Active NPL Superfund site by the EPA.

The LCC site consists of Alburn Incinerator, Unnamed Parcel, U.S. Drums II and Paxton Avenue Lagoons. These were the major lands that were contaminated the toxic substances. Alburn Incinerator a nine-acre parcel located in the northwest portion of the Cluster Site. Alburn began operations in 1967 as a landfill and eventually expanded operations to include a hazardous waste incinerator and storage facility in 1977. Wastes accepted by the facility included paints, chlorinated solvents, adhesives, petroleum, etc. U.S. Drum II is a 5.6-acre portion of the Cluster Site located along the southern half of the eastern boundary of the site. The property has been used as a dumping ground for municipal and industrial waste since the beginning of the 1900s. In the 1970s, the site was illegally used as both a hazardous waste transfer and solvent recovery facility. The illegal operations ceased in 1975 as a result of a fire that occurred at the facility. In 1979, the site became a temporary storage and transfer facility for waste drums. Unnamed Parcel had been suspected that the area was used as an illegal dumping ground for nearby industry. The research done on the said site says that it may have been a landfill from the 1950s through the 1970s. Wastes deposited at the site include fill material, slag from local steel mills, unknown industrial and commercial wastes, and trash and debris from various anonymous sources. Paxton lagoons were used as an illegal dump site since the 1950s, and according to the recent sampling activities at this land done in the year 2004, it has been identified that there is some presence of PCBs ( Polychlorinated biphenyls) and both VOCs and SVOCs ( Volatile Organic Compounds and Semi-Volatile Organic Compounds).

DEMOGRAPHICS

South Deering is a neighborhood that falls within the Chicago city limits and is comprised of the racially diverse population with working class medium. As per the U.S. Census of 2010-2014 American Community Survey (ACS), the median household income within the Deering Community is an average of $ 35k. Even though this community has a well balanced economic life, it lacks in having a green space that can provide a clean air around the area. As per the demographics, the neighborhood has an African American and Latinos as a predominant community.

CHALLENGES FACED BY THE SITE

The Cluster Site is located in a heavily industrialized area in a southeastern portion of Chicago and is highly contaminated with heavy metals, the site fall under the Brownfield category, which must be cleaned up to avoid the health hazards associated with the contaminants that currently occupy this site. Three former hazardous waste storage and disposal facilities, including a waste incinerator, are also within a quarter mile of Lake Calumet, therefore continuing to contaminate the water as well. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this site has been identified as having a potential risk to human health and the environment due to contamination by one or more hazardous wastes. Past activities at the site included illegal dumping, landfill operations, hazardous waste disposal, and waste incineration. These events resulted in elevated levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and metals in soil, groundwater and surface water. The workers who had worked at the Calumet Cluster Site were likely to have been exposed to site-related contaminants through inhalation and ingestion of contaminated soils and dust. According to the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA), the toxic air around this cluster site has been suspected of causing cancer or other serious health issues such as congenital disabilities. As there is no designated fencing around the location, it is prone to trespass, wading, and other activities which may lead to health disparities. By considering the inspection done by ATSDR, both children and adults are prone to the diseases caused by the contaminants. (Agency, Substances, and Registry, 2016). South Deering community is just 2.7 miles away from the Lake Calumet Cluster site (LCC), hence it is majorly affected by the pollutants found on the site resulted in serious health issues, and it has been established that there is no proper medical assistance in around 5 miles radius. Having such conditions around the area may reduce the property value or may result in people moving out from the neighborhood. According to the ACS, the property values of the South Deering community the percentage of the property value has plummeted around 10%. By this survey, conducted has shown the depression of the economic status of the lands and also the surrounding neighborhoods are affected by the toxicity found in the cluster site. Henceforth, a tremendous impact on the economics of the South Deering neighborhood can be seen. (Bureau, 2010).

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PLANS

The project deals with a factor of redeveloping the site into a well balanced green space using the renewable resources so that the eco-system of nature will be stabilized. The proposal involves a planning that eliminates the pollutants by cleaning up the site throughout. Green infrastructure system will be used on the site such as storm-water inlets and barriers, rain-water harvesting systems, green roofs, infiltration planters, etc. By implementing such methods, the site will incorporate both the natural environment and engineered systems that enhance the beauty of the surrounding and also there will be a boost in the economic conditions.

Providing rain-water harvesting system on the site helps to supply clean drinking water to the surrounding neighborhoods, as there is no proper supply of drinking water to the surrounding areas at present. Also by having the green infrastructure in the site is cost efficient and supple approach to the environmental conditions which can benefit the community is targeted.

Planning green space like rock gardens, rain gardens, frog ponds, urban tree canopies, etc. Obtaining such site conditions will help to achieve and conserve the nature values and functions which will provide a broad range of benefits to the community and wildlife as well. By implementing green infrastructure, it can rest assure that there will be a boost in economic conditions, community awareness of nature, increase in community health and safety, recreational spaces to socially involve with other people.

CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS

. Identify the on-site contamination that includes surface water, surface soil, sediment soil and eliminating these pollutants thoroughly and planning the development in a sustainable manner leads to a successful cleanup project. . Cleaning of the site would reduce the health risks, develop a healthy environment for the communities and protects and conserves the wildlife habitats. . Stormwater management and Rainwater Harvesting as a possible option to collect viable water for community usage, Green Roofing for the infrastructures, researching and implementing techniques for removal of toxins and cleanup of the contamination sites. . Incorporating both natural environment and engineered systems enhances the beauty of the surrounding and also boosts the economic conditions. . Integrate workshops to increase awareness of the project and to enlist the help of the community. The workshops will cover topics regarding the following areas: wildlife threatened by contamination, wildlife safety, pollution security and health hazards associated with the disease.

PROJECT BENEFITS

The project is about retaining the balance of nature by redeveloping the site into green space, where the elements of the natural environment are sustained. The main advantages of this project are to having a green space where people can have their recreational and healthy activities, creating job opportunities, maintain the eco-balance of nature, the site values of the surrounding neighborhoods may increase which in turn boosts in economic conditions of the communities. The project aims to minimize the health risks, adding open green spaces and supply a better drinking water incorporating rainwater harvesting system to the surrounding communities. By having this site redeveloped into a garden space, the eco-system of the South Deering neighborhood will be balanced out; the wildlife such as fishes and birds in that site area will be preserved and protected from future contamination. The green park space helps to boost up the economic conditions of the surrounding areas as there will be an increase in the land value and makes it affordable and healthy to live in that neighborhoods. Economics benefits of having a green space increase the both economic and social conditions of the community of South Deering. It creates interest in other community people, and when people from other parts of the city visits this park site, they will start visiting the park space to spend their leisure time when people from other regions of the city visits this park site. The nearby communities will be the most benefited by this project, not only can contribute to the development of green, sustainable community but also it opens up a huge number of job opportunities for the neighborhood people and even further. Employment opportunities for various industries like agriculture industry while protecting productive land, including sensitive habitats, aquaculture industries while protecting water quality and preserving culturally diverse authentic communities, setting up a windmill industries, solar panel industries and green parks reduces the risks faced by people and sites that will be contaminated in future, efficiently sharing the resources and help to achieve a sustainable community with the intention of increasing economic gains and improving environmental quality. The primary objective of this remedial plan is to aim for the betterment of the nature that surrounds us and to use it for a useful purpose without destroying the environment.

CONCLUSION

Green urbanization is an approach where it makes the life of the people who reside in a community or a city much easier; Like building Hospitals, Research and education facilities, green spaces, etc., but all should be done while protecting natural and cultural systems.

DATA TO SHOW THE IMPACT ON THE HEALTH ISSUE

INCOME OF SOUTH DEERING V/S LUNG CANCER

In this particular graph plot we can see that prevalence of lung cancer is more between the range of 40 to 60 per 1000 people to the income of 25k to 38k approximately. So we can assume that since, South Deering community has a average median income of 35k, it can be assumed that the lung cancer issue is evidently present in the community areas.

References:

  1. Advameg (2016) South Deering neighborhood in Chicago , Illinois (IL) , 60617 , 60633 subdivision profile - real estate , apartments, condos , homes, community, population, jobs, income, streets. http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/South-Deering-Chicago-IL.html (Accessed: 9 March 2017).

  2. Agency, Substances, T. and Registry, D. (2016) http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/lakecalumetclustersite/lakecalumetclusterpha--2-10-2009--finalreleasea.pdf (Accessed: 10 March 2017).

  3. Bureau, U.C.S. (2010) American Fact Finder - results. http://factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF (Accessed: 23 November 2016).

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  9. Illinois coastal management program 2011 (2009).

  10. Lake Calumet cluster in Chicago, IL (2016) http://www.homefacts.com/environmentalhazards/Illinois/Cook-County/Chicago/Superfund-Lake-Calumet-Cluster-Ild000716852.html (Accessed: 9 March 2017).

  11. Museum, T.F. (2007) Journey through Calumet - place . http://archive.fieldmuseum.org/calumet/SouthDeering.html (Accessed: 9 March 2017).