>> LAKE >> COUNTY IS LUSH WITH FOREST PRESERVES PARKS AND NATURAL SPACES.

BUT MANY OF US RESIDENTS SAY THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THOSE SPACES ARE WELCOMING TO THEM.

AN ANALYSIS BY THE NONPROFIT BRUSH WITH CENTER AND RYERSON WOODS FOUND NOT ONLY LATINOS FEEL EXCLUDED FROM ASSESSING LAKE COUNTY'S NATURAL ASSETS.

THEY'RE ALSO OVERBURDENED BY THE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL INJUSTICES PRODUCER ERICA GUNDERSON CAUGHT UP WITH THE GROUP LAST MONTH AND HAS THE STORY.

>> LEE COUNTY FROM HIS HOME NESTLED INTO THE NORTHEASTERN MOST CORNER OF ILLINOIS.

MUCH OF LEE COUNTY IS WEALTHY VERDANT AND SUBURBAN.

>> BUT SOME TOWNS IN LEE COUNTY ARE BOTH DEEPLY INDUSTRIAL AND DEEPLY LATINO LIKE THE ONE DAY FOR US.

WE'RE OPEN.

>> PARK CITY, ILLINOIS, WHICH IN THE MIDDLE OF WAUKEGAN IN GURNEE TO ABOUT 8,000 COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO WORKING CLASS, A IDENTIFY HISPANIC, LATINO.

>> TODAY FLORIDA'S IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST AND BOARD MEMBER AT THE HEALTH IN NATURE, EQUITY, NONPROFIT BRUSH WITH CENTER.

BUT SHE SAYS IT WASN'T UNTIL ADULTHOOD THAT SHE BEGAN UNDERSTAND THE INEQUITIES SHE EXPERIENCED AS A CHILD GROWING UP.

I DIDN'T REALLY THINK GOING ON ANY TRUE.

>> NOW REALIZING THAT WE HAVE ALL THESE FOREST PRESERVES AND ALL THESE OTHER SPACES THAT WE COULD HAVE MAYBE TRAVEL TO.

I NEVER CONSIDERED HOW CLEAN IS MY WATER.

HOW CLEAN IS THERE THAT I'M BREATHING?

IT DEFINITELY MAKES ME WHERE I SPEND MY TIME OUTSIDE.

IF I WANT TO SPEND MY TIME OUTSIDE.

>> OR IF I'D RATHER FIND SPACES THAT IN MY EYES ARE CLEANER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THIS INDUSTRIAL BUT THAT WOULD MEAN HAVING TO DRIVE FURTHER FROM WHERE I LIVE.

>> FRESH WOULD CENTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KATHRYN GAME SAYS THE LEE COUNTY IS FULL OF NATURAL SPACES.

THE LATINO RESIDENTS THEY WORK WITH SAY THEY FEEL SHUT OUT OF WHAT WE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN FOR >> MANY OF THE SAME BARRIERS THAT FOLKS FACE.

SO TRANSPORTATION, LACK OF MATERIALS OR ACCESS CONTENT IN SPANISH OR IN THE LANGUAGE IS THAT THEY SPEAK, NOT FEELING WELCOMED IN SPACE IS NOT FEELING A SENSE OF BELONGING WHEN THE PANDEMIC HITS AND WE THE MANY WAYS THAT SHE SAME COMMUNITIES AND PARTNERS WHO ARE FACING BARRIERS TO ACCESSING NATURE AND ACCESSING THE BASICS LIKE CLEAN AIR AND WATER.

ALSO WHERE THE SAME COMMUNITIES WHO FACE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING HEALTH CARE TO ACCESSING THE EMERGENCY RESOURCES THAT WERE NEEDED DURING THAT TIME.

ALL OF THIS IS TAKING PLACE IN THE CONTEXT OF A CHANGING CLIMATE AND WE HAVE ARE ALREADY SEEN INCREASING TEMPERATURES, INCREASING RAINFALL.

THE SUMMER.

WE SAW THE TORNADOES COMING THROUGH OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE SAW THE WILDFIRE SMOKE WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE ARE HUGE HEALTH IMPLICATIONS TO INCREASING HEAT AND TEMPERATURE, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN KIND OF DISTINGUISH THEM INTO INDIVIDUAL BUCKETS, THEY'RE VERY INTERCONNECTED.

SO THE BRUSH WITH CENTER DECIDED TO TAKE A DEEPER LOOK.

>> IN JUNE, THE ORGANIZATION RELEASED A REPORT THAT COMBINES FEDERAL AND LOCAL DATA WITH INDEPENDENT RESEARCH.

THE REPORT FOUND LEE COUNTY RESIDENTS FACE SIGNIFICANT RACE-BASED DISPARITIES IN HEALTH OUTCOMES, ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY AND ACCESS TO THERE GORGEOUS NATURE IN LAKE COUNTY.

>> BUT WE KNOW ALSO FROM THE DATA THAT THEY'RE STILL A LOT OF FOLKS WHO FACE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING OUTDOOR SPACES AND THAT THOSE BARRIERS RELIEF ALL VERY MUCH SO ALONG DEMOGRAPHIC LINES.

>> SO YOU SEE IT COME TO THE SAME COMMUNITIES, MOSTLY BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES.

>> THAT EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, HIGHER LOWER LIFE EXPECTANCY, HIGHER HOUSING COSTS, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHEAST CATHOLIC COUNTY WHERE THERE'S A HISTORY OF INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ALONGSIDE HOUSING DISCRIMINATION AND OTHER RACIAL INEQUITIES.

AND SO ALL OF THIS MEANS THERE IS A LEGACY OF TOXINS THAT ARE STILL BEING DEALT WITH TODAY.

LAURA SAYS THE REPORT'S FINDINGS ON ACCESS TO NATURE AND HEALTH INEQUITIES ALIGNED WITH HER EXPERIENCE AS A LEE COUNTY I THINK WE ENJOY NATURE AND TRY TO GO OUTSIDE.

>> BUT SOMETIMES DON'T KNOW THE INDUSTRY THAT'S SURROUNDING US.

WE HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL DUNES THAT HAVE BEEN RESTORED.

>> AND THEN WE HAVE ACCESS LAKE MICHIGAN.

>> BUT THEN ALONG THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE COLD WE COME ACROSS SUPERFUND SITES, RIGHT SITES THAT HAVE BEEN OF AND THEN ONE IN 3 CHILDREN IN WAUKEGAN HAVE ASTHMA OR ASTHMA LIKE SOMETIMES.

AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I HAD SEEN IN MY OWN FAMILY AND FLORIDA GAME SAY THEIR HOPE IS THE REPORT WILL HELP SPUR ACTION IN LEE COUNTY AT ALL LEVELS.

IF YOU WORK ON SOLUTIONS, THAT KIND OF ADDRESS THEM ALL YOU'RE HITTING MULTIPLE POINTS AT ONCE.

HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS REPORT AND HOW DO ALL MOVE TOGETHER WHEN IT COMES TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT, >> YOU KNOW, CAN HELP WITH THIS WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND THEN WITH OUR ELECTED OFFICES.

SO I THINK THAT WE CAN FIND THOSE ANSWERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY.

>> FOR CHICAGO TONIGHT, LATINO