April 2, 2018
The City of Elmhurst (particularly the northern end of the municipality) has been severely impacted with increased air and noise pollution since the build out of the O’Hare Modernization Plan (OMP). Elmhurst is located less than two miles from the southern border of O’Hare, represents an area of over ten square miles and is home to over 46,000 residents. With 4,511 residents per square mile, Elmhurst has one of the highest population densities in proximity to O’Hare.
The two remaining northeast to southwest diagonal runways (4L/22R and 4R/22L) illustrated below, currently affect Elmhurst residents, particularly those living on the north end. Also illustrated in blue and light blue, is the concentration of affected households for noise exposure from the August 2017 O’Hare Noise Compatibility Commission official monthly report.
North Elmhurst residents currently experience jet noise in the range of 65 - 95 decibels when East-West flow along the parallel runways are disrupted during severe weather conditions. Being within the five mile red zone for jet air pollution and ultrafine particulates, North Elmhurst residents are inhaling a daily dose of toxins, particularly school children and the elderly.
Elmhurst residents logged 28,529 complaints for 2017. In comparison, there were 2,558 complaints for 2012. This represents an over 1000% increase in complaints logged from 2012 through 2017.
