You’ll look TOTE-ally cool with one of our sustainable tote bags! Members of the Recycled Content committee in the Students for Environmental Concerns made these bags just for you! Unique, functional, and environmentally-friendly, we want YOU to support our cause and buy a bag. Proceeds will go to supporting the CCHCC 5th & Hill Neighborhood Rights campaign!

At the corner of 5th and Hill Street in Champaign sits a former manufactured gas plant owned by Ameren IL. After its closure in the 50s, the company failed to do a proper cleanup, leaving all of the toxic waste and chemicals on-site, threatening the surrounding community. Residents have since experienced numerous consequences as a result of Ameren’s neglect, including high levels of aggressive cancer and bleeding disorders. The CCHCC 5th & Hill Neighborhood Rights campaign works to address this injustice and advocates for the proper clean-up of the 5th and Hill community.

Recycled Content is a committee focused on creating media related to environmental sustainability. We have created signs for the Climate Strike, propaganda for Fossil Free UIUC, and podcasts about environmental topics.

They have built a net-zero-energy demonstration home (2910 Brickhouses Road) where they are giving tours to the public, to show how it is possible to build a new, conventional looking house that has little or no greenhouse gas emissions and produces all the energy needed on site.  The home features geothermal, a desuperheater, passive solar design, solar pv on the roof, low-e windows, and other design elements.

5th and Hill is a community located a quarter mile away from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus. The community has been involved in an on-going battle of holding Ameren accountable for a full clean up of a former manufactured gas plant site, which was placed in a now vacant 3.5 acre lot located at the intersection of 5th and Hill Street. When gas was produced at the plant, coal tar and other production wastes were left at the toxic site. Some remediation of the toxic waste has been achieved, but the site is still far from clean. 5th and Hill needs your help in supporting community initiatives and efforts as residents are encountering health problems as a result of a long time exposure to these toxins.

Join us on Thursday, November 21st, at the Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center from 7-9 PM for an informative Teach-In on a blatant case of environmental racism.

Support the 5th & Hill Neighborhood Rights Campaign: https://www.gofundme.com/f/5thandhill

We’ll see you there!