There’s dedicated activists and developers working to save Chester from its toxic environment, writes J.F. Piro for Main Line Today.

Chester has a higher than average number of polluting industries and waste facilities.

It has 8 percent of Delaware County’s population, but 60 percent of its waste facilities.

 Life expectancy is 69.

“It’s the densely urban, biggest and dirtiest cities where these giant polluting facilities are clustered, said Mike Ewall, founder of the Energy Justice Network. “I don’t want this in anyone’s backyard.”

There’s hope ahead.  

Developers want to create community, commercial and recreational space at Chester’s underutilized water front and improve the transportation infrastructure there.

People are starting to care about Chester’s toxic environmental problems.

The county’s new health department in 2022 will clearly map out Chester’s environmental health impacts.

At the same time, Delaware County’s district attorney is going after polluters and demanding environmental accountability.

Zulene Mayfield, head of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living, will keep fighting.

“Any kid who can’t breathe is worth my time,” she said. “You can blame the victim. But as officials, you can’t account for the conditions you’ve allowed. We’ve been in a pollution pandemic for a long time.”

Read more at Main Line Today about Chester’s toxicity problem.

Here’s a positive and hopeful video on what Chester can strive to be.