Mega-warehouses heap more pollution on hard-hit Illinois neighborhoods

Credit: The Guardian

Hundreds of mega-warehouses have been built in Illinois for online shopping in recent years and the rise in delivery trucks is polluting neighborhoods already burdened with poor air quality, a new study says.

Two million people in Illinois live within a half-mile of large warehouses, which are disproportionately located in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color.

A new report by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) identified at least 2,400 leased warehouses covering 632m sq ft – a 33% rise from the previous decade.