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Community confronts toxic racism

By Bill Allen

Daly City, Calif.

The people of the toxic-contaminated Midway Village public-housing project in Daly City, Calif., refuse to be ignored.

Dozens of sick and angry residents took direct action Dec. 20 for the second time in a week, blocking the entrance to the construction site of a controversial drainage project.

Residents are angry that digging in the contaminated soils next to their homes will expose them to cancer-causing chemicals. The environmental-justice organization Greenaction joined residents to confront this toxic threat to the health of the Midway community.

Three dozen residents and supporters sat down in the road, blocking trucks attempting to enter and leave the site. Despite a big police presence, the blockade continued for several hours.

On Dec. 14, protesters had padlocked the gate to the site. Residents and members of Greenaction blocked the entrance, stopping trucks trying to enter.

Police eventually removed the padlocks, but the protesters then marched onto the site. Senior women with canes sat in the road in an act of civil disobedience. Work on the project was disrupted for most of the day. The protest received sympathetic television and newspaper coverage.

Midway Village is operated by the San Mateo County Housing Authority. Some 1,200 people of color occupy its 150 housing units.

Midway Village and the adjacent Bayshore Park were built on land contaminated with cancer-causing toxic substances, notably polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons or PNAs. The contaminants are from the neighboring PG&E site. Digging in toxic soil will result in toxic emissions, putting the neighbors and kids at the day-care center at risk.

The low-income residents of Midway Village are furious that the State Department of Toxic Substances Control gave city work crews permission to dig in toxic soil just feet away from homes, a day-care center and park where young children live and play.

Midway residents are outraged that they have lived on toxic contamination for years, but they cannot afford to move away from their toxic neighborhood. Residents were never told about the contamination when they moved in to Midway Village.

Residents are demanding permanent relocation away from their toxic neighborhood, life-time health care and just compensation for years of exposure to toxic chemicals.

"It's a toxic environment, and PG&E and the government are just trying to ignore it," said long-time resident Elias Castillo.

"We are tired of this environmental racism and living on top of toxic waste," said Midway resident Lula Bishop. " The reason they feel they can do this to us is because we are a community of color and they think we have no political clout, but we will continue to take action until we win justice."

Residents suffer from high rates of illnesses including cancer, respiratory problems and rashes. A recent study based on DNA tests indicated that 32 of 34 young Midway residents and 19 of 24 adults may have abnormal chromosome aberrations. Government agencies have so far failed to further investigate to determine how serious a health problem may exist.

Copyright © 1999 workers.org