For years, the Law Center brought lawsuit after lawsuit and helped organize community pressure against polluters in Chester, and though Chester still faces serious environmental issues, the efforts have paid off significantly. The DELCORA sewage treatment plant undertook major facility improvements and agreed to fund a $200,000 community lead abatement program; another company withdrew its permit application in the face of community pressure; and other facilities have undertaken major improvement efforts and funded community benefit agreements in response to Law Center and community pressure. The City of Chester also adopted a zoning ordinance, drafted by the Law Center, that prohibited the construction of any new waste treatment facilities unless they could be proven not to create new environmental pollution.

Today, Chester is a cleaner city than it once was, but it still faces serious environmental risks. To continue Chester’s fight for a healthy environment, the Law Center recently represented the Chester Environmental Partnership (CEP), a coalition of environmental advocates, business and community leaders, and other concerned citizens dedicated to securing positive change in Chester. With the Law Center’s help, CEP secured a $100,000 CARE grant to continue its efforts to clean up Chester and to inform Chester residents about the toxic threats they face.