The Ninth Senatorial District includes portions of Chester and Delaware Counties, including the city of Chester. Over 700 tons of toxicants are released yearly through air/water by Delaware County industries. Are we willing to continue to take risks with our health? A grassroots organization, DelCo Alliance for Environmental Justice, is sponsoring a free event: Film Screening of Laid to Waste followed by Panel Discussion and Question and Answer Session
Preview: http://www.youtube.com/...
Saturday, February 9, 2PM
Widener University
Kapelski Learning Center
Corner of 14th & Walnut Streets, Chester
Parking: Corner of 14th and Walnut or 17th and Walnut, Chester
In the 1990s a group of Chester citizens protested the presence of four polluting, foul-smelling industries near their homes:
- Westinghouse's incinerator, one of the biggest in the US, burning trash from Delaware County, Philadelphia, and the state of Delaware.
- Thermal Pure's autoclave, sterilizing medical-chemical waste by heating it.
- Soil Remediation Systems' (SRS') proposed plant to burn the soil's toxic gases.
- Delaware County Regional Water Quality Control Authority's (DELCORA's) sewage treatment plant, burning sludge.
This film asks whether it's fair that so many industries of a type that no one wants to live next to should be located in one city. Are these industries why Chester residents have higher than normal rates of respiratory illness and cancer? Is this environmental racism? A question we raise now is what are the health risks to all Delaware County residents constantly exposed to chemicals such as benzene, naphthalene, lead, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, ethylene, propylene, methanol and many others?
In 2002, our county ranked among the dirtiest/worst 10% of all counties in the U.S. in terms of cancer risk score (air and water releases). http://www.scorecard.org The situation could grow worse as new waste facilities are currently targeting Chester, including what would be the nation's largest tire incinerator.
Educator John Linder has announced his candidacy for State Senate. We hope that we can begin a new political era in the City of Chester and Delaware County and work together toward reducing pollution along the Delaware River.
Delaware Valley citizens, hope to see you at the event!
For more information or to get involved, contact:
Email: delcoalliance@ejnet.org
Web: http://www.ejnet.org/...