Home My Work Contact

Hello!

My name is Christiana,  an            environmental storyteller


About Me

I'm currently reporting for the Chicago Tribune,  covering environment and public health issues in the Midwest.  I hold a masters degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, specializing in health, environment, and science reporting and concentrating in data reporting. 

My reporting blends investigative, data-driven storytelling with on-the-ground community reporting to examine how environmental decisions affect people’s lives and our rapidly changing climate. 

Recent Work

Chicago Tribune •

Environmentalists push back against US EPA plan to extend coal plant closings

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is facing strong public opposition to its proposed plans to extend closure deadlines until October 2031 for 11 coal plants across the country — three of which are in Illinois and one in northwest Indiana.

But many environmental experts, including Earthjustice senior attorney Mychal Ozaeta, say the proposal caters to the coal industry rather than protecting communities.
Chicago Tribune •

Plans to close dozens of toxic coal ash ponds in Illinois stuck in backlog

ALTON, Illinois — Where the Wood and Mississippi rivers meet in southern Illinois, over a million cubic yards of toxic coal ash sit on the edge of Illinois’ floodplain, threatening the waterways that surround it.

The retired Wood River Power Station is home to one of 72 coal ash impoundments, or ponds, across Illinois that contain byproducts from former coal combustion plants, according to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
Chicago Tribune •

Illinois among states with most cuts to environmental agencies, report shows

In the past 15 years, the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency has faced major budget cuts and a 21% decline in staffing, according to a recent report from the Environmental Integrity Project.

Illinois is among the 14 U.S. states with the most significant cuts to its state environmental agency, the report by the national nonprofit says. These states, which cross political and geographic boundaries, will likely conduct fewer inspections and weaken protections against pollution, said Jen Duggan, executive director of the Environmental Integrity Project.
Read More!

An Invisible Poison

Watch my first short documentary about Chicago's lead contamination crisis. This short film premiered at Facets Theatre in June 2025. 

Watch the film on the PBS! 

Photography