It’s Getting Hot In Here

With all of the LARGE problems that exist in such a small city like Chester the last thing we need is to read about another LARGE problem. It is a daily problem that has been often overlooked by the city for decades. This persistent problem is the environmental injustice that plagues Chester residents, quietly robbing minutes, days, weeks and years from our lives with every passing moment as we breath. Some doctors would even argue that these pollutants also rob us of our ability to learn and reason. SO what specifically is the LARGE problem? The large problem is with what is being put into our drinking water here in Chester City, Media Township and Philadelphia PA.

So what’s so scary about our water? Chester water may taste better than Media Township’s and Philadelphia’s but there is one horrible thing that we have in common with their water. Once our spring water hits the treatment plant they all have a chemical called hydrofluosilicic acid (also known as Fluoride) dumped into it. This acid is accumulated during the making of fertilizer by the phosphate industry. This acid is also regulated as hazardous waste until it has been dumped into your drinking water. It is only considered toxic if dumped into the water by you or I but it is called “medicine” when dumped into the water by a “phosphate fertilizing” company. See, it is the fertilizing company that has been given the permit to poison you. Continue reading ‘A Cup of Choice: What is in your drinking water and why you need to know.’

Despite how many dirty problems there were with the supposed “green” energy bill various climate groups supported it in order to ensure that their personal programs and agendas were funded by the bill.

Is money enough reason to push for a dirty-green bill when the people who will be hurt most by it are the working poor and people of color? I think not!

By AMY BRISSON abrisson@delcotimes.com

CHESTER — A handful of members from the Chester Energy Justice Network and a small group of students from Swarthmore College hosted an informational meeting about soil contamination at the planned soccer stadium site and the cleanup process Thursday night. “Just following through with the cleanup, that’s what we’re pushing,” said Desire Grover, a community activist and founder of the GhettoPrint Web site.

The meeting was Part 3 of a series of programs hosted by Energy Justice and the Delco Alliance for Environmental Justice to draw attention and educate residents about air, water quality, public health and the environment. It will be followed by a demonstration Saturday, in which members will carry signs urging developers and officials to “Clean It Up” while handing out information packets to nearby residents. The planned $115 million stadium development on the Chester waterfront will be built on what the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has designated a soil-contaminated “brownfield” site. Continue reading ‘Chester, PA Students and Teachers Monitoring Major League Soccer Stadium Brownfield Cleanup’

Media Alert by Earthlust

In the past weeks, Chester residents have been actively engaged in protesting environmental justice abuses in the city, focusing on the removal of fluoride from city water, increased government attention to air pollution, and the importance of soil remediation, particularly in former industrial zones. On Saturday, March 14th a coalition of Chester students, activists, and residents marched from the Chester YMCA to the Chester Water Authority with signs saying “Take It Out”. They marched to protest the fluoride that is added to Chester’s water supply. Fluoridated water poses health risks; it increases lead absorption which is linked to learning disorders and causes brain damage especially in infants. One week later, on Saturday, March 21st residents marched again, this time to “Keep Them Honest.” The purpose was to demand a Public Air Monitoring Program. The final Day of Action will take place on March 28th. Residents will march from 10am-11am to “Clean It Up,” which refers to soil contamination at the site of the Soccer Stadium.

Residents interested in joining in the March 28th event and future campaigns around issues of environmental justice in Chester are invited to attend an informational meeting on Thursday, March 26th from 6-7 p.m. at the YWCA in Chester, located at 2 East 7th Street. Light refreshments will be provided. For more information, contact the Delco Alliance for Environmental Justice at delcoalliance@gmail.com

Put together a promo tool from around the way. Getting really excited about PowerSHIFT! If this video has already been posted my apologies in advance

Written by Desire Grover

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*Transcript of A Ghetto Print Minute Podcast

On December 30th a final proposal was put in around 7 am asking for the Chester Upland School District to sign over 40 acres of their property. The deadline for the sign off was December 31st so the pressure was on. The Soccer Stadium Developers were in need of a kind gesture from the same school district that had been horrifically starved financially and left to die a slow death. A school district deserted by its State, County and City all for the sake of a tax-free city development incentive called the Keystone Opportunity Zone. But on December 30th the tables would turn. And the Developers would pay the largest price for the Sins of Chester City.

What the Stadium Developers were asking for was tremendous. They wanted the School District to just hand the land over so that they could continue development according to their tax-free terms. Say what? That’s right you heard me correctly. You would think this were an 80’s Disney film. The once nerdy and ignored school district suddenly had the upper hand. The ball was in their court and they had only a few hours to make the shot. Would they be forgiving of Chester City who had left the school district in the cold after the infamous Harrah’s Casino Deal? The Soccer Stadium Developers were the friends of Chester City who had been welcomed into the City’s prosperity plans all while the school district received not one invitation to the party. Would the School District forget all of this and simply sign over their 40 acres and the mule to the City’s friends?

“The proposal is that the education empowerment board agree to the inclusion of one additional property. That known as the Barry Bridge Park into the exiting Keystone Opportunity Zone along the City of Chester Waterfront.”-CUSD Lawyer Bush Continue reading ‘The Sins of Chester City’

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by Desire Grove

In a great book somewhere there is a proverb written that reads like this: “It takes a fool to tear down a city but a king to build one.” Chester is now a city under construction but not first without some major destruction. So one might wonder is our city development currently directed by fools or kings?

On October 29th residents were informed that Chester City and PennDot had a plan. The plan is to expand the highway I-95. When the highway was first created about fifty years ago it swallowed up neighborhoods and now it appears that the 95 is hungry again. The expansion is expected to devour about forty homes along South Forwood Street. The bitter news was quickly followed by a sweet promise of making Chester more accessible:
Continue reading ‘Under Construction’

No sweeping toxins under the rug.

CHESTER, PA – Chester is rising some would say. Yet others might point out that it’s only risen but so far off the ground. Contaminated ground that is.

Throughout Delaware County and among charity givers Chester is seen as a place that is in constant need. In need of jobs, in need of adequate housing, political reform and quality education but not too many think about Chester’s need for a cleaner environment. It’s this lack of concern & knowledge that has allowed Chester’s industrial past to haunt it for so long. And even as the city experiences booming development along it’s waterfront it will not be able to continue it’s development without taking an added risk with the health of it’s residents that live along 291 between Flower and Ward Street.

Here’s Environmentalist Mike Ewall, founder of Action PA.

“The types of chemicals that are found at these sites and the amount of toxic chemicals that are there which in some places are a few feet thick … They’ve been pumping stuff out of there and trying to keep it from seeping into the Delaware River for years.”

Continue reading ‘Mess Up & Clean Up’

By: Amy Brisson, abrisson@delcotimes.com

CHESTER – Several local organizations put public pressure on the Chester City Council to demonstrate greater support for their community projects during a meeting Wednesday evening. Desire Grover, an organizer for the Chester Energy Justice Network, pushed council members to sign a petition committing them to increase Chester’s number of “green jobs.”

“It used to be a very gray city and now we’re paying for the pollution that happened here. Now we want to turn this into a green city,” said Grover, advocating for job creation that also benefits the environment.

Only Councilwoman Marrea Walker-Smith has signed the petition to date, Grover said. Mayor Wendell N. Butler Jr. told Grover she has the board’s support and promised to have a representative meet with her organization.Several members of the Chester Community Grocery Co-op, including founder Tina Johnson, also spoke at Wednesday’s meeting to ask for more explicit support for their co-op’s expansion.

“I feel that the Chester Co-op is a viable business,” argued Rod Powell, an instructor at the Chester Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired and a co-op board member. “The reason why I’m here is to get your blessing on a Chester Co-op.”

Butler promised the group had his “blessing,” and that he would promptly coordinate a meeting between city officials and co-op organizers.

ORIGINAL STORY: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?dept_id=18171&newsid=20158933

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Promises, promises, promises… are something that every politician makes. Especially, in the year of election. It’s the bloodline of any campaign. But when it comes to making good on these promises…well that’s when it becomes a matter of… politics and promises have a tendency to lose out.

At least Tina Johnson seems to think so ” Politics as usual.”

She’s the founder of the Chester Community Grocery Co-op. She knows first hand what it means to hear promises, promises and more promises. She has been trying desperately to gain both the public and financial support of Chester’s political leaders but still has yet to see them effectively do so.

Over a year ago Tina approached the Chester City Council.

“City council said ‘we will consider this proposal and let you know what we think and get back to you on it’… They never got back to us.”

She also tried the state level… “Thaddeus Kirkland said that he would work with our co-op… to make sure that the co-op has access to resources on a state level… we’re not getting any assistance at all.”

The need for a fresh food outlet didn’t just pop up out of the blue. Chester, like many urban communities, has serious health issues that are directly connected to fresh food access.

Currently, development is taking place all over Chester City. Due to the “revitalization” of the city we now have a casino and will soon have a soccer stadium in this basketball town. Housing developments are springing up all over the city so what’s the big deal with supporting the Grocery co-op. Is it the money?

“Through negotiations I was able to secure 4 million dollars.” That’s State Representative Thaddeus Kirkland. And according to him it’s not the money. “It started off at 1 million or 2 million dollars but we were able to secure 4 million dollars.”

The question is who will this 4 million go to so that Chester City is finally able to have fresh food access?

“We’re now in conversation with operators, different operators… hopefully by next week we’ll have one secured.”- Rep.Kirkland

Apparently the “operators” would like to have their shovels in the ground by the end of November. Who these “operators” are and what they will bring was not offered by the State Rep. How big the market will be, how many jobs it will supply still isn’t clear. All the while, the Chester Community Grocery Co-op, which already exists, will have to wait on financial support, despite previous promises.

“And when you’re not supporting those who are trying to… create opportunities through all of these means, whether its food access or job creation and you can’t stand up and say we support this…this is our contribution to this effort than the question is what are you doing as a politician?” – Johnson

Despite this election year Kirkland says that he does have the coop in mind and sees no conflict with bypassing his promises to the coop in order to see to it that another food source is given financial support.

” By bringing in a market it reinforces… it helps reinforce the conversations with the coop. I think that it’s important that the supermarket and the coop co-exist.”-Rep.Kirkland
It’s still unclear as to when the co-op will receive credible support from any of the city officials. Until then a few weak promises will have to suffice but in the meantime… “…again we’re in conversation so we’re keeping our fingers crossed.”, says Rep.Kirkland That’s right… in the meantime we’re keeping our fingers crossed. I promise.

ORIGINAL STORY: www.ghettoprint.com