Impacts of the partial government shutdown are being felt across the country and here in Illinois, which has more than 153,000 federal workers.

About 1,000 of them work for the EPA's Region 5 and are union members with the American Federation Of Government Employees Local 704.

"We care deeply about our work. We want to make sure we're able to protect the people of the Great Lakes," said Local 704's president Nicole Cantello.

Cantello tells NBC Chicago the union was made aware there will be furloughs, but haven't received specifics yet.

Much of the work members do is bringing lawsuits against alleged polluters of the air and water. Without her members reporting to work, she worries polluters won't be held accountable, and that the damage could be long-term if the workers aren't brought

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