Communities Cry Out as Hazardous Conditions Strangle Residents: "Our Children Can't Breathe"

Many residents of a Pennsylvania city long subjected to industrial pollution and environmental racism are hoping a proposed bill might bring some relief.

As detailed by the social issues-driven publication Capital & Main, many residents of Chester, PA, have been advocating for the passing of House Bill 109 , intended to "establish protections for communities overburdened by industrial pollution."

Chester has a population of 34,000, largely made up of low-income families of color. The town is located just outside of Philadelphia, and its residents "have faced disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards," according to the outlet's early-June report.

A paper plant, a waste incinerator, and a sewage treatment facility are all located within the municipality. The Public Interest Law Center, which has said it was involved in earlier environmental efforts in Chester dating back to 1993, previously shared that the waste hubs would intake materials from the surrounding areas too, including "more affluent, white towns and cities."

"Our children literally cannot breathe, and the [Pennsylvania] Legislature … has done nothing," Zulene Mayfield, co-founder of the three-decade-old grassroots group Chester Residents Concerned for Quality of Living, said at a March hearing .

Capital & Main described that a nearby natural gas processor creates an intense amount of air pollution that impacts the city, where the population experiences double the asthma rate of the rest of the state and the highest infant mortality.

Watch now: How bad is a gas stove for your home's indoor air quality?

"We are asking the Legislature to do their part," Mayfield said this past spring.

If HB 109 passes, it would mean the state's Department of Environmental Protection would have to hold public hearings for projects proposed in areas like Chester that have experienced environmental injustice. Project proposers would also have to show how their plans might interact with or compound industrial pollution already present in the area, according to Capital & Main. The outcome of these steps could result in a project not moving forward.

While not industrial in nature, since Chester is located in one of the Pennsylvania counties where air quality has been impacted by recent Canadian wildfires , combined with high local temperatures, the significance of considering how multiple sources of climate-related pollution can compound to deliver an even bigger blow to residents, and especially children, is notable.

HB 109 author State Representative Greg Vitali told Capital & Main that "protecting people's health" is "the whole point of the bill."

Do you worry about air pollution in and around your home? Yes — always Yes — often Yes — sometimes No — never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Industrial pollution is a major concern for the safety and well-being of communities and the planet. Some groups are especially vulnerable to exposure to particulate matter, a type of air pollution often stemming from industrial sources, among others, per the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Children , older people, people with lung and heart disease, and historically marginalized communities have faced disproportionate impacts from particulate matter.

In addition to its links to significant health risks like asthma, respiratory conditions, and cancer, planet-warming gases in the atmosphere are driving the rising global temperatures that are behind the ongoing climate crisis .

This isn't the first time Pennsylvania advocates and lawmakers have tried to address the state's environmental issues through the legislative process. Capital & Main reported that more than two dozen pieces of related legislation were introduced between 2019 and 2024. Only one made it out of committee, and none were ultimately successful.

HB 109 was amended by the House Environmental and Natural Resource Protection Committee in early April, but it has yet to be called for a floor vote in the House, where Democrats hold the majority. If it is approved by the House, it would then need to make it through the Republican-controlled Senate, where its chances could be slim , before being signed into law by the governor.

Deputy director of the area's Delaware Riverkeeper Network , Tracy Carluccio, acknowledged that similar legislation has died in the past. But she also told Capital & Main, "This bill could have its moment now where it could actually be passed in Pennsylvania. Because the states are really the last refuge," seemingly referring to recent federal rollbacks of related environmental programs .

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Residents plead for help as hazardous conditions burden community: 'Our children literally cannot breathe' first appeared on The Cool Down .