Clean Air Journal

COMMUNITY CHRONICLES #8: Charlie Powell – PANIC

COMMUNITY CHRONICLES #8: Charlie Powell – PANIC

Before the creation of the Clean Air Act in 1970, “It used to just rain stuff on us. You know, it would be all on our houses.” Powell’s family would hang their clean clothes on a drying line outside and have to bring them back in before too long because soot would make them dirty again. “I believe up until this day, if any of our fathers knew they (were) bringing us into an environment like this here, they never would (have).” Powell will never understand how two coke plants (ABC Coke and Bluestone Coke) were able to be built three miles from each other.

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Petition: The EPA needs to Strengthen Soot Standards

Why The EPA Needs To Update Soot Pollution Standards

Soot, is a dangerous and deadly pollutant composed of metals, organic chemicals and acidic substances. It is produced by power plants vehicle tailpipes and other industrial sources as well as wildfire smoke. Soot threatens our health and our environment, posing particular risks for children, seniors and people with chronic illnesses.

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Community Chronicles 1: Keisha Brown

Community Chronicles 1: Keisha Brown

“It’s like a third-world country,” she said. “I know we sound like a broken record, but no one’s doing anything. Politicians keep telling us to vote for them–vote for you for what? What am I voting for you for? To do nothing? We need people who are willing to work with the community’s needs.”

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Racial Zoning In Birmingham Is Still Segregation

Racial Zoning In Birmingham Is Still Segregation

We need to recognize that these modern problems often have substantial historical roots in harmful and discriminatory official government policies from the past. Governmental action helped to ensure that the places we live in, the schools we go to, the health problems we have, and even the quality of the air we breathe are likely to depend in part on what race we are.

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