Demystifying the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District

The Chicago Westside Branch of the NAACP is bringing back its environmental Speaker Series! We have a great line up of speakers for 2022 already. In this video, our March speakers give us the rundown of what the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District does, what Commissioners of its board do, where water goes, how this impacts our communities and the environment at large, and even tips on navigating a career path in environmental politics as a Black person.

Our March speakers are Commissioner Cameron Davis and his chief of staff Dawn Walker. Before joining MWRD, the Obama Administration appointed Commissioner Davis to coordinate the work of 11 federal departments and serve as liaison to Congress on Great Lakes matters. Dawn Walker led the RainReady Community Program, designed to educate and organize communities, especially Chicago's southside communities, to petition elected officials, obtain grant funding, and design programs to reduce flooding in their community. The program was the recipient of the Chicago River 2020 Blue Ribbon Award.

The Speaker Series is moderated by Ryan O'Donnell (aka the Vegan Politico), the chairperson of the Environmental and Climate Justice Committee.

[deliabarajas]

I live in Cicero where the largest wastewater facility (the Stickney Plant) is located. There is definitely flooding issues in Cicero and a need for urban farming which the Cicero Community Farm is trying to establish. There is a need for an Environmental Justice analysis of the Chicago Shipyard Canal where all the discharges flows from the MWRDGC.