 Altgeld Gardens is regarded as the birthplace of the environmental justice movement  

Altgeld Gardens was nicknamed Chicago's 'toxic donut' due to having the highest concentration of hazardous waste sites in the United States.There were 50 landfills and 382 industrial facilities surrounding the area, including the Acme Steel plant and the Pullman factory, with many of the sites unregulated.There were also 250 leaking underground storage tanks.