Indiana, Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin Lag on Environmental Justice Issues

Not surprisingly, those with dedicated state EJ staff—namely Michigan and Minnesota— rank higher in progress, according to a recent report.

On the northwest side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where more than half the population is Black or African American, the outdated sewer system is often at capacity, and miles of asphalt and concrete make stormwater management a challenge. Sometimes, heavy rains bring flooding into the neighborhood, and members of the community have called for action to help manage their water...

...Wisconsin is one of the states included in a recent report by the Northeast-Midwest Institute that ranked Midwestern states in terms of their progress on environmental justice issues. Among Midwest states, Michigan ranked first, Minnesota second and Illinois third, while Iowa, Ohio, Wisconsin and Indiana ranked lower, in that order...