IDOT Kicking Off One of the Nation's Largest Clean Air Construction Projects

Unveils Implementation of the Dan Ryan Health and Environmental Focus Group

                             Recommendations

  WHO:    Tim Martin, Secretary of Transportation
          Renee Cipriano, Director, Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
          Deborah Sawyer, President, EDI
          Michael Scott, President, Chicago Board of Education, Chicago
            Public Schools
          Greg Washington, Health Care Community

  WHAT:   Release of the Environmental Health Strategic Plan
          For the Dan Ryan Project;
          Dan the Air Bear Campaign & A New Clean Air Construction
            Initiative

  WHEN:   Monday, April 18th
          10:00 a.m.

  WHERE:  Parkman Elementary School
          245 W. 51st Street

The Illinois Department of Transportation will announce a major initiative to reduce air pollution in and around the Dan Ryan and Kingery Expressway Reconstruction projects. This initiative incorporates recommendations from the Dan Ryan Health and Environmental Focus Group and includes partnerships with the US and Illinois Environmental Protection Agencies, American Lung Association, Chicago Public Schools and local community agencies.

This groundbreaking initiative is making Illinois a national leader in reducing pollution on major highway construction projects and is already serving as a model for other agencies.