On June 12, UCM hosted the inaugural Toxic Tour for the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and other community leaders. This tour was a visual journey through communities in the metro east experiencing dire environmental concerns. The tour concluded with a fireside chat where we discussed how to move forward in collaboration with the IEPA on transforming our communities and addressing these concerns on a more urgent, consistent basis. On November 5, we will continue growing this coalition as we host Deputy Director Bria Scudder and IEPA Director James Jennings. Together, we will further the conversation and strategize the actions we will take as a community in 2027.