Residents Meet with Environmental Experts at Hudson K-8
This has been a practice in patience for many of the families expected to be here tonight.In the last six months they've had a crash course in enviromental science..and how the air they breathe is affecting their health.The meeting is formatted to provide answers to community concerns, but will likely lead to more questions..about what testing in the community is revealing.
Four air monitors are working overtime in Jefferson County looking for toxic chemicals like benzene, arsenic, and chromium. It's part of a one year air toxic monitoring project being conducted by the Jefferson County Health Department and the Federal Environmental Protection Agency. When they finish the project in another six months, it will provide data of how toxic or non-toxic the air is for many communities in North Birmingham.The situation really started heating up in these communities about 2 years ago when the EPA ordered soil testing.Dozens of homes and schools were tested for toxic contamination and high levels were found at 3 schools and two dozen homes. Walter Coke - the nearby coke plant in this area - was working with the Federal EPA under an administrative order to do the testing and clean up. Where they were allowed: they have completed clean up of the properties. Some families however are not allowing them access because of possible lawsuits.Walter Coke has told the EPA they are willing to do more testing and more cleanup but they would like the Federal Government to include other companies current and past to help in the effort.Walter Coke has also argued strongly for the EPA to spearhead a health assessment of the people in these communities to see if their claims of high rates of cancers and asthma are legitimate. The health assessments may also determine where such illnessess are coming from.
Residents from several communities in North Birmingham are expected to file into this school - Hudson K-8 - this evening.They argue that regulators have not been policing the toxic pollution to protect their health ..... regulators say they are searching for answers and that's why they're here today.
