From: | Emery Graham <egraham@dca.net> |
Date: | Tue, 17 Aug 1999 11:23:34 -0700 (PDT) |
Reply: | cpeo-brownfields |
Subject: | Is There A Pattern of Government Failure? How Would You Describe It? |
I was reviewing some of my prior contributions to the listserve and ran across one titled, "No Subject." When I reviewed its contents it became clear that there was an emerging pattern of governmental behavior regarding brownfields in Wilmington, Delaware. Rather than engage in assertive speculation, I thought I'd offer other listserv members the opportunity to read this submission and the one titled, "Local Governments Face Harsh Realities" and offer any thoughts, insights, or comments that they might wish to share. I hope other communities can begin to understand the dynamics of the political economy and intergovernmental linkages that are at play in the brownfields arena. It is no place for the fainthearted. One can remain comfortably complacent and probably never engage the dilemmas and contradictions that accompany the material realities of living in this capitalistic, democratic society. It's pretty difficult to continue ignoring the contradictions and abandonment one encounters while developing a brownfields literate community. It's just a matter of time before the situation moves to another level. ***************************************************************** EPA Documents Contradict State of Delaware's Environmental Agency Officials' Representation of Hazardous Wastesite Danger On February 25, 1999, 270 barrels of hazardous waste were reported to have been discovered in Wilmington, Delaware according to a Delaware daily newspaper. Prior to the news report a manager from the State of Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control(DNREC) had twice assured City of Wilmington officials, in correspondence dated 9/18/98 and 10/30/98, of the safety of this hazardous wastesite stating, "....that the Drum Area did not pose an immediate public health hazard..." In the February article the local newspaper reported the comments of a Delaware State environmntal department manager saying, "The wooded land is isolated and doesn't present a risk to the public." However a funding request to the Director of the Hazadous Site Cleanup Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, Region III, in Philadelphia, dated February 5, 1999, from the On-Scene Coordinator, states in its " Endangerment Determination" section the following, "Actual and threatened releases of hazardous substances from this Site, if not addressed by implementing the response action discussed below, will continue to present an imminent and substantial endangerment to the public health, or welfare, or the environment." In another section the funding request goes on to point out, "there is a strong potential for exposure to nearby populations to the hazardous substances found at the Site. The urbanized area of the City of Wilmington is approximately 1 mile from this Site." " There is evidence that people slept onsite in the past. It appears that over the years children have made forts and other temporary "play" areas onsite. People have been observed fishing in the creek in close proximity to the Site." Finally, in the "Issues" section of the same funding request the author states, "Because the Site is largely unsecured and the public could come in direct contact with these hazardous substances,{"... including PCBs,. mercury, arsenic, strong acids, halogens, and flammable solids.}and because of the release of these hazardous substances to the environment, they pose an imminent and substantial threat to human health, welfare, and the environment." To the ordinary citizen, and any reasonable person, the Federal and State representations directly contradict each other. State officials say there is no, or little, danger and Federal officials say there is imminent danger to life, health, and safety. Who's telling the truth? Who should the vunerable, unsuspecting, taxpayer believe? Why did State of Delaware's environmental officials tell Wilmington City officials and the press that the hazardous wastesite posed no danger? What's going on in the the State of Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control? Is it time for the State of Delaware's Attorney General and Federal Environmental Protection Agency officials to step in and investigate DNREC's actions? When the citizens can't trust their egulatory agencies to protect their life, health, and safety or to honestly represent the dangers facing the citizens, it's time for a drastic change. The supervisors of these officials have some explaining to do and some corrective action to take. Misleading statements that cause citizens to be unaware of, or understate, dangerous situations is a terrible failure of governmental responsibility. How can innocent people protect themselves if they are given incorrect or misleading information? Innocent citizens suffer. What is Governer Carper's policy in a situation like this? Given the poor health conditions in Wilmington Delaware's African American community, where many hazardous wastesites are located, and with no public health assessments having been done at these hazardous wastesites, serious attention must be focused on these failures of State government agencies. This is not the first time that State and Federal officials' lack of timely action increased the danger to the Wilmington public. A snafu occured at the Diamond State Salvage wastesite project, currently under way in Wilmington, Delaware, when neither the State of Delaware's environmental agency nor the Federal Environmental Protection agency acted to fence in the hazardous waste site once evidence was gathered that the site was a danger to public health and safety. The Diamond State Salvage wastesite had been declared a "high risk" site by the Agency for Toxic Substance and Disease Registry almost three years prior to the site being fenced in May of 1998. Both State and Federal environmental officials admitted that the site should have been fenced immediately to prevent homeless persons and local residents from having been exposed to the sites hazardous wastes. There is some consolation to know that this Federal On Scence Coordinator is calling for the immediate fencing of the entire hazardous wastesite. | |
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