More Environmental Racism From DNREC And, Of Course, Our Governor
Are you bleeping kidding me?:
‘Delaware OK’s Slag-Grinding Plant Over Neighbor Health Concerns’.
John Carney and his DNREC lackeys have decided that the creation of up to 10(!) jobs is more important than the health of residents in the already environmentally-challenged community of Southbridge.
According to the News-Journal article, the company will be obligated to install the ‘best available technology’ for its slagging operation. What if the best available technology sucks? Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s the best available technology. Not to mention, does anybody expect DNREC to deviate from its Chamber cronyism in ensuring that the community’s health will not be compromised? And for what? A company that will grind ‘a steel manufacturing byproduct’ into granulated slag? 10 fucking jobs?
Wait, there’s more. Here’s what residents face:
They worried about slag dust getting in the air. Industry safety sheets state the material can damage lungs if the dust is breathed in, and contains small amounts of materials that may cause cancer.
There is little research on the effects of slag grinding operations on their surroundings. One study submitted to the state of New Jersey of a slag processing facility in Camden concluded the plant likely contributed about 10% of outdoor dust in the area.
News of the plans alarmed residents in a part of Wilmington that environmental advocates found was one of seven in Delaware where residents suffered cancer and respiratory illnesses at higher rates than their counterparts in wealthier, whiter Greenville.
The feckless (and corrupt?) secretary of DNREC, Shawn Garvin, argues that the new facility in and of itself would not violate state and federal air pollution standards. What, of course, he pointedly avoided discussing was the cumulative effect that adding yet one more polluting and possible cancer-causing business to an area already overburdened with them would have.
Garvin, in his own way, is every bit as disingenuous as Former DELDOT Secretary Kermit Justice used to be. The following is a true story. Part of the notorious Capano family was proposing a massive commercial project somewhere in the vicinity of (pre-expansion) Route 202 and Silverside Road. The proposal was strongly opposed by CCOBH (I was the Arden representative on the body at that time). This project required a traffic impact study that we felt would limit the scope of the proposed project. The impact study came back with the finding that the new project would have no impact on the affected intersection. The rationale? I’m not making this up: The intersection was already a failed intersection, and it would remain a failed intersection if the Capano project was built. Hence, no change.
Garvin has done the exact same thing here. The community is already beset with companies that pollute air and water, so what’s so bad about adding one more serial polluter to the mix? It’s a disgrace that an alleged D governor and his handpicked DNREC Secretary don’t give a flying fuck about the health of the Southbridge community. I was gonna ask, why not just give the Chamber carte blanche over everything? My bad, Carney and Garvin already have.
This is appalling. That ten jobs are being touted reveals what a bunch of craven shitbags populate this administration.
Another terrible environmental decision.
From Jose Avila, comment rescue –
Several weeks ago, I had a conversation with a friend about race and racism. I got on the topic of “environmental racism” and she laughed at me. She said “What does that even mean? The environment is racist against people?”
I told her, “No, that’s not what it means.” I informed her that environmental racism is when systems and government agencies and policymakers make decisions that specifically impact the quality of life or health of a subset of the population, usually people of color.
I was reminded of the definition of environmental racism when I saw this article on Facebook today. I am absolutely appalled that our Governor, John Carney, and his cabinet secretary, Shawn Garvin, would so cruelly ignore the valid concerns of people of color from Southbridge, who are demanding this potentially unhealthy plant not be built around their neighborhood.
Why is this happening?
The article states Delaware “will require” the company to install the “best available technology,” but doesn’t specifically state what that technology should be to minimize harm to local residents. Semantics matter and I don’t know if this actually addresses residents’ concerns.
And then, further down in the article, Garvin states that the “Division of Air Quality determined emissions from the facility would be lower than federal and state air pollution laws require.” Here’s the thing….many of these regulations and laws are written in a way that even minimums can mean a hefty amount of garbage or cancer-causing pollutants are released into the air. So, this is more verbal acrobatics from the government.
Residents have spoken. The Southbridge area of Wilmington suffers “cancer and respiratory illnesses at higher rates than their counterparts in wealthier, whiter Greenville.” And that’s why this is a clear-as-day case of ENVIRONMENTAL RACISM. Poor, mostly black Southbridge IS NOT rich, mostly white Greenville. And, when a policy or government plan DISPARATELY and NEGATIVELY impacts one racial group over another, then that is racist. This plant would never – EVER – be built in Greenville.
I’m appalled by these racist actions by the Carney Administration. This is another example of poor people of color being exploited, degraded, and ignored. I stand with the residents of Southbridge, who do not have the deep pockets to fund the campaigns of big party politicians.
You said it better than I did. I can already imagine Carney’s response, were he to give one, which he won’t:
“My hands were tied.”
Jose said this? maybe school board really are the farm league for higher office. bravo and thank you, jose!