[Peace-discuss] Re: [Peace] Toxic Site Exposed

Wed Dec 12 03:06:24 CST 2007

Y're right, John. Definitely delete "little."  Good evidence so far that Ameren hasn't been and won't be cooperating w/ any of this, and will drag things out as long as possible. So the legal team representing the community will have its work cut out for it. Still, if "our" side wins, Ameren will maybe have to pay the community's legal fees... which they'll then (try to) pass on to the rest of us via our power bills.
   --Jenifer  

"John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com> wrote:
  At 12:57 AM 12/12/2007, you wrote:

  I add my respect and commendation. Too bad none of you is, to my knowledge, an attorney at all... The community could use a little pro bono work.
 --Jenifer

The trouble is that in the legal field there's no such thing as "a little" pro bono work.  Taking on a complex legal case is nothing, nothing, nothing like writing a prescription.  One single case - not to mention a mass tort case like what we'd be talking about here - can drag on for years and consume hundreds or even thousands of hours of the attorney's time.

John

  "John W." <jbw292002 at gmail.com> wrote:

   My highest respect and commendation for those of you who have done, and continue to do, the relatively thankless research and community organizing that has brought this issue to the forefront of the public's attention.  And none of you is, to my knowledge, a personal injury attorney!  :-)

   John Wason

   At 06:19 PM 12/9/2007, Brian Dolinar wrote:

   A community meeting was held Saturday, December 8, 2007, at the Douglass Branch library about Ameren's toxic site at 5th and Hill Streets in Champaign. The 3.5 acre site is located in the heart of the north end and it is black working class people who have been impacted the most. A former coal-to-gas plant on the site is now gone, but a massive "blob" of coal tar 40 feet underground remains and may be the explanation behind numerous reports of cancer in the neighborhood, including two rare cases of multiple myeloma.

   Approximately 100 people packed the room to hear about the information Ken Salo, Professor of Urban Planning, and his students have dug up about the 5th and Hill site. The site most recently came to the public's attention after CU Citizens for Peace and Justice, and its environmental justice committee, began organizing "toxic tours" with Professor Salo, highlighting the 5th and Hill site as one of its main attractions. The group then began organizing a coalition, which was joined by Champaign County Health Care Consumers. 

   At the meeting, Chuck Allen and Andy Bloeser presented their findings on the history of the plant and information they have collected from interviews with local residents. Between 1887 and 1953, the plant at 5th and Hill converted gas from coal for heating and lighting. The waste produced from this site, coal tar, was dumped in a massive pit where it has remained since. It is a veritable toxic soup containing polynucluear aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX), cyanide, ammonia nitrate, sulfer, and fuel oil. 

   Several community members were present at the meeting to express their concern over the site. Kenyatta Chambers [pictured above] spoke to the audience:

   "I live right across the tracks from the toxic site. My family has lived in the house for 35-plus years. My grandfather died of leukemia, which is rare, in 1992. My mother was diagnosed in 2002 with multiple myeloma, which is a rare cancer, I had never heard of it. I'm concerned and I still live in the house today."

   Another man from the community spoke up:

   "I have lived at my property for ten years. I was a semi-truck driver cleaning up hazardous waste sites. I went out to talk to the water testers. There were two guys with white jump suits on, they looked like space men. My concern was, if this is not hazardous, why are you wearing these white suits? My mother died of cancer. I have cancer now. My daughters have situations they probably shouldn't be having at a young age. I always felt something was wrong, I thought maybe I was overreacting. When I heard about all of this, I knew something wasn't right. They can cover it up because they got the best lawyers, the best everything." 

   A woman who lives near the toxic site and runs a child care service said,

   "I have been concerned since day one. I experienced some bad taste in the water at my house and I called the water company. They were out in less than ten minutes. I really grew concerned after that. I said there's got to be something wrong in this neighborhood, because I would constantly see someone out testing the water. I asked the question, is there a problem with the water? Why are you testing it? They said, 'Oh, its nothing, we're just testing the water.' I'm really nervous that there is something wrong with the water, because they confirmed it. But I want to know just how far the stuff is traveling. Because I have children there that I take great concern about. There could be contamination and I could be guilty of letting these children continue to be in this environment. And then there's my family. They need to look at cleaning this up quickly. Because it does effect our livelihood. That's why I'm here today. Because I'm really concerned about it. I know Ameren
 has never knocked at my door. The water company has never knocked at my door and said, 'Hey, there's a problem. We need to address it.' I said there's got to be somebody I can contact. But you don't know who to contact. You don't want to get a big issue going. Everybody would look at you like, hey what has she created. But now I'm convinced that there is a problem."

   Ameren, the current owner of the site, has registered it with the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) under the Site Remediation Program. As part of this program, Ameren is required to keep the community informed about the site, conduct periodic tests, and ultimately clean up the site. In exchange, they have legal immunity from any lawsuits that may come as a result of the site. It has been over 15 years since Ameren signed the agreement.

   Many local residents said they have never heard from Ameren and had no knowledge of the site's toxicity. Ameren claims they have left information at the Douglass Branch library, but as of December 8, librarians deny having any such materials. 

   A local coalition has formed to ensure that neighborhood residents are not side-stepped in the remediation process and that they have some say in determining the fate of their community.

   A follow-up meeting will be held on January 19, 2008 at the Douglass Branch library.

   -- 

   Brian Dolinar, Ph.D.

   303 W. Locust St.

   Urbana, IL 61801

   briandolinar at gmail.com 

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