A report from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) says that thousands of so-called "mega-warehouses" in Illinois have been polluting vulnerable nearby neighborhoods for years. 

Released on April 24, the report identified just over 2,400 warehouses in the state that are 100,000 square feet or more in size, primarily used for fulfillment of e-commerce orders. Those facilities are predominantly found within a half-mile of lower income populations and communities of color, and typically combine for at least 525,000 truck trips per day.

According to the group's analysis, nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) pollution from diesel-burning trucks like the ones used by warehouses contribute to over 7,200 new cases of asthma in children in Illinois each year. In neighborhoods where NO₂ fumes were especially prevalent, the pollutant was responsible for more than 14% of new asthma diagnoses. 

"The recent e-commerce boom in Illinois only exacerbates the pollution burden faced by many communities of color and low-income communities," the report reads, adding that Illinois had the fifth highest rate of deaths from diesel engine pollution in 2023.

EDF estimates that having warehouses transition to zero-emission vehicles could cut NO₂ pollution by up to 54% in the most heavily impacted areas of the state.