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Environment | Wildfires, dust storms and traffic made Chicago…
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Thursday, March 26th 2026

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Wildfires, dust storms and traffic made Chicago the 3rd-most polluted major US city in 2025, report finds

People walk along the lakefront near Belmont Harbor on June 5, 2025, as the skyline is obscured by air pollution from Canadian wildfires. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency declared it an Air Pollution Action Day. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
People walk along the lakefront near Belmont Harbor on June 5, 2025, as the skyline is obscured by air pollution from Canadian wildfires. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency declared it an Air Pollution Action Day. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
Adriana Pérez is a general assignment and environment reporter for the Chicago Tribune. Photo taken on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
By | adperez@chicagotribune.com | Chicago Tribune
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Massive intermodal facilities, growth of industrial warehouses have contributed to the Joliet area having highest concentration of pollution in the state.
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