By Diane F White, FPN HarrisburgThe Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) considered Harrisburg an "environmental justice" community, but has done nothing to stop pollution from harming Harrisburg's communities of color. In fact, it's the DEP that has given out the permits, allowing industrial pollution in South Harrisburg.
The area closest to the Harrisburg incinerator has the highest percentage of minority residents in the county. South Harrisburg has been home to the country's most polluting trash incinerator for over 40 years. Toxic ash piles will sit there forever. The soot and emissions will continue to poison people, leading to more cancer and asthma, and contamination of our air, water and soil.
Mr. Chivis died on 4/9/2004.
He was a courageous and principled
man and he is greatly missed.
The state NAACP passed a resolution opposing the project on environmental justice grounds. Yet in the midst of loud public outcries and ongoing protests from city residents, Steven Reed, the Harrisburg Authority and the County Commissioners pressured the Harrisburg City Council members into approving their plan.
A plan which allowed the city residents to be exploited by greedy
politicians. We never needed an 800-ton a day incinerator to handle the trash that the city produces. The city maintained that by increasing the size of the incinerator it would be able to produce more electricity to sell to utility companies. Big whoopy, city residents are footing the bill for the rest of the county's waste removal and lining the pockets of the utility companies, who are on the verge of raising our rates anyway. While the rest of the world is trying to clean up the environment and looking for alternative energy sources such as wind and solar, we are going in the opposite direction and creating brownfields.
politicians. We never needed an 800-ton a day incinerator to handle the trash that the city produces. The city maintained that by increasing the size of the incinerator it would be able to produce more electricity to sell to utility companies. Big whoopy, city residents are footing the bill for the rest of the county's waste removal and lining the pockets of the utility companies, who are on the verge of raising our rates anyway. While the rest of the world is trying to clean up the environment and looking for alternative energy sources such as wind and solar, we are going in the opposite direction and creating brownfields.
Mayor Reed, the Harrisburg Authority and the County Commissioners are seeking to bring waste from outside of Harrisburg to feed the incinerator. By attracting other people's waste to the incinerator the city, the county and the state continue to subject neighborhoods in Harrisburg, Steelton, and Swatara Township to the environmental and economic consequences.
The best made plans of mice and men have been known to fall apart. This plan fell apart at the seams. Now the County is being asked to help foot the bill to operate the incinerator and they are not happy about it. Problem is, the County entered into a flow control agreement with the Harrisburg Authority which binds them to bring their MSW to the Harrisburg Incinerator. What started out as an offer which was too good to be true, turned out to be just was it was from its inception, a complete debacle.
What is the going rate for polluting an Environmental Justice community? Inquiring minds want to know. Whatever the rate, for the residents of Harrisburg it amounts to exploitation.
It is unconscionable that the County Commissioners are fighting in the courts to keep from paying their share of the proposed rate increase and its even more unconscionable that the courts are entertaining it. In fact, It is down right disgraceful that the DEP and the Feds have not stepped into the picture, if for no other reason, then social justice. Where is the accountablity?
