Articles by Regional Reporter, Illinois Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco
Juanpablo Ramirez-Franco is the Midwest regional reporter for Grist and WBEZ Chicago. He previously covered waterways, wildlife, and agriculture for the Mississippi River Basin Agriculture and Water Desk, Harvest Public Media, and WNIJ Northern Public Radio.
All Articles
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![Three plumbers in green jackets installing a new water service line.]()
![Three plumbers in green jackets installing a new water service line.]()
‘They’re playing games’: Illinois lawmakers press Trump administration over stalled lead-pipe funding
Congress appropriated $15 billion to replace lead pipes across the country. Is the Trump administration withholding it?
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![Electrical power lines running through Chicago with blue sky in the background]()
![Electrical power lines running through Chicago with blue sky in the background]()
Illinois takes steps to address high energy costs, betting big on battery storage
The state legislature passed a bill that will add a surcharge for customers in the short term, but should pay it back more than 10-fold over the next 20 years.
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![Silver carp leap out of water being shocked by electric currents.]()
![Silver carp leap out of water being shocked by electric currents.]()
Racing against time, Illinois clears a major hurdle in containing an invasive fish
After a political standoff between President Trump and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, the state is now moving ahead with a billion-dollar project to contain invasive carp.
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Chicago has a lead pipe problem. Millions earmarked to address it remain untouched.
City officials have struggled to meet state and federal deadlines, and many residents have yet to receive warnings about the risks of lead pipes.
