466 Preventing and Reducing Harm from Toxics
Urban construction can unearth toxic waste
Unfortunately, ignoring toxic waste doesn’t make it go away. When new
development projects are begun in cities, usually people are excited about the
new markets, housing, recreation, and jobs that will be created. But especially
when these projects are built where a factory or military base had been, people
must be careful to make sure that the very ground itself has not become a toxic
waste dump. And if it has, the toxic wastes must be disposed of safely.
A home run for health
When the city of San Diego, USA, began to build
a new stadium, fans of the San Diego Padres
baseball team were excited. The new stadium
would be better for watching games, and
building it would bring jobs to the community.
But an environmental impact assessment (EIA)
showed the project would also have bad affects on the
environment and people’s health.
The proposed site was contaminated with toxic chemicals. The plan called
for the toxic soil to be dug up and burned right in the middle of the city.
Members of a local group, the Environmental Health Coalition (EHC), knew
this would cause serious health problems. So they organized the community to
demand an alternative.
EHC and community members asked city officials to reject the plan, but
the city denied their request. The community then organized more than 100
residents to protest at the building site. When the local media reported it,
the San Diego Padres looked like they did not care about their fans. Soon the
owners of the team agreed to find another way to get rid of the toxic soil.
The EHC also showed how the new stadium would cause an increase in
traffic, air pollution, and asthma among neighborhood children. After many
meetings, the Environmental Health Coalition helped develop new, healthier
building plans.
Even when public meetings are scheduled and environmental impact
assessments are produced, this does not mean that a project will be free from
harm. In the case of the San Diego stadium, the developers wanted to go ahead
with the project even though they knew about the harm from burning toxic soil
and the problems with the stadium plans. It took an organized and dedicated
group to study the reports, attend the meetings, and protest in the streets to
get the government to reduce harm.
Many people in San Diego pay attention to every game the Padres play.
Now they can support their team and know it has not made them sick.
A Community Guide to Environmental Health 2012