HUFFINGTON
06.17.12
OLD KING COAL
water table. That, in addition to
Arrowhead’s own safety features,
make dangers to the groundwater
supply minimal, backers say.
ADEM officials also point out
that the site has 13 groundwater
monitoring wells currently in place,
and that quarterly tests are conducted to ensure the water table
is not impacted. Officials say they
also measure air quality and explosive gas levels around the site.
But landfill operators themselves submit all of this information to ADEM for review. While
the agency has the ability to conduct its own sampling, according
to spokesman Scott Hughes, it
does not generally do so -- nor has
it made an independent review of
the constituents of coal ash.
When asked if ADEM considers the demographics of an area —
race, ethnicity, income — as part
of its technical review of permit
application, Hughes says no.
“That information,” he says, “is
not part of the application process.”
At a recent public hearing with
state environmental regulators in
the basement of Uniontown city
hall, a few dozen residents from
around the area gather to hear
ADEM describe a request from
the landfill’s operators to modify
its current permit so a new part
of Arrowhead can be opened to
receive trash.
A few residents hold homemade signs. One reads “Stop
Black Land Loss.”
Booker Gipson, stands in the
back of the room saying little. He’s
holding a placard that reads “Stop
Dumping on Uniontown.”
Other residents take to a microphone at the front of the room
to offer their thoughts on the permit modification. Few stick to the
script, instead issuing a litany of
bitter condemnations, desperate
pleas, and occasional warnings.
“What if this was your home?”
Esther Calhoun demands of the
ADEM presenters, all of whom
are white. In keeping with rules
for such events, the officials could
only sit and listen, without response. “This is all that we have,
Calhoun says. “I mean, nobody
seems to care, but let me tell you
that this is only the beginning.
You can listen or you can wait ‘til
later to see what happens. Someone has to open their eyes.
“It’s time to step up and listen
to what the people say,” she adds.
“We are the people.”
RIGHTS AND WRONGS
David Ludder, a Florida-based environmental attorney, currently
represents area residents in two
lawsuits originally filed in Alabama state and federal courts. They
charge Phillips & Jordan and its