A story in George that lists Chester as one of "the 10 most corrupt
cities in America" is rekindling the passionate debate in the city
about "environmental racism."
The story, in the magazine's March issue due on newsstands next week, dubs
Chester "Toxic Town USA."
The case for such notoriety is stated in seven paragraphs, which focus exclusively
on the environmental racism debate that has raged in the mostly black city
over the last decade as five waste treatment facilities moved to the lower
West End.
The story blames uncaring local politicians and state environmental officials
for making Chester "Delaware County's waste basket."
But is the concentration of the plants in Chester driven by race or poverty?
Zulene Mayfield, chairwoman of Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living,
which formed to fight the plants in City Hall and in courtrooms, thinks
it's race.
"There is a collective effort of the waste industries to locate businesses
where blacks reside," she said.
"It's clear that these conditions could not exist except in communities
where minorities and the poor live," agreed the Rev. Horace Strand,
another longtime environmental activist. "What we have in Chester is
just blatant."
Last month, Chester Resident won a victory in a federal appeals court that
allows its environmental racism suit against the state Department of Environmental
Protection to proceed.
"I think the residents have the right to reject policies that result
in placing such a concentration of facilities in one corner of the community,"
Chester Residents' attorney Jerome Balter said. "They have some reason
to believe that they are being discriminated against."
Others disagree.
"What environmental racism?" asked Common Pleas Judge Ed Zetusky,
a former Chester solicitor and councilman who was involved in the "Trash
War" of the late '80s, when Westinghouse and the city were competing
for a single DEP permit.
"What people forget is when the request came in to consider the Westinghouse
plant, the West End of Chester was predominantly white; it wasn't black."
The plant, now owned by American Ref-Fuel, pays a fee to the city that for
years has been an economic godsend to the perpetually strapped city. The
money has averted both dramatic tax hikes and reductions in the ranks of
police officers and firefighters.
Zetusky said studies have shown that the plants in question don't come close
to emitting the amount of pollution that was present in Chester when the
city enjoyed its industrial heyday a few decades ago.
"Having said that, if we could have attracted any other businesses
to locate there, we would have taken them, but nobody was clamoring to move
into the city."
State Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland (D-159) is against the number of plants in
the city, but doesn't think skin color is an issue.
"I honestly believe that if a town was poor and 90 percent white or
Hispanic, they'd set up shop," he said.
"They thought Chester was so down and out that it couldn't look a gift
horse in the mouth and had to accept whatever was offered to them, but the
reason it was offered to them was because it was predominantly minority,"
countered Sheridan Jones, who was once the executive director of the city's
proposed plant, which was never built.
"I think geography has an awful lot to do with it," said city
Councilman and Public Safety Director Pete Seltzer.
"Is it racist to put a trash plant that needs water on the river because
black people live by the river?" he asked.
Mayfield said members of city council have been grossly deficient in creatively
attracting businesses without smokestacks to Chester.
Seltzer said that could change if the proposed Keystone Opportunity Zones
pass in the state Legislature.
"I've had tons of inquiries from some very exciting businesses who
are interested in the city for a 12-year tax break," he said.
That's the kind of thing Mayfield loves to hear.
"If these businesses decided to leave tomorrow, we would still be here
to build up this community," she said.
How did Chester end up on George's list of America's 10 most corrupt
cities?
Matthew Saal, associate editor of the glossy monthly that peeks inside
life in the Washington Beltway, credits city government's failure to serve
its people.
"On that score, we realized that Chester fails, not just miserably,
but is among the worst we could come up with," Saal said.
George editors cast a wide net looking for different kinds of corruption.
Some cities were chosen for traditional corruption - bribery and extortion.
"But we wanted to look at a more broad sense of corruption, instances
where government does not well serve its citizens. That's where Chester
comes in."
George is not alleging city government has done anything illegal, although
there were past legal issues.
"It didn't seem fair, frankly, to say someone went to jail 10 years
ago," Saal said, referring to former Mayor Jack Nacrelli's racketeering
conviction. But it's also far too easy for Chester's government to deflect
criticism by saying they're not doing anything illegal, that a few jobs
were created by the waste facilities and that they brought in some needed
revenue, he added.
George staffers were amazed by an account of Mayor Aaron Wilson refusing
to address citizens' concerns about a proposed additional waste treatment
facility, telling activist Zulene Mayfield she had no right to challenge
him.
"It seemed pretty remarkable," Saal said. "It did seem
like arrogance, or just not caring, or not making an effort."
George did not attempt to talk to Wilson, although staffers visited the
city in January.
The recent federal court ruling which found credibility to an environmental
racism suit filed by Chester activists also caught the magazine's eye.
In the George article Zulene Mayfield, chairperson of Chester Residents
Concerned for Quality Living, and Chester Mayor Aaron Wilson were mentioned.
Yesterday, they gave their thoughts on a number of issues presented in the
article.
Q. Is it fair to call Chester one of the most corrupt cities in the nation
based on the environmental issue?
Mayfield: Yes. At least partially, the corruption is responsible for
the waste facilities coming here. The corruption has caused disarray in
the city. And because of the corruption, there are not always the most competent
people in positions of authority.
Wilson: Chester is not a corrupt city presently, so I don't think
that's fair to say. The (city's) leadership should take a positive step
in helping the people with some of these problems. I have formed an advisory
committee on the environment and am working toward doing something about
what's going on in the city.
Q. Could city leaders have stopped the waste facilities from coming to
Chester if they wanted to?
Mayfield: Most definitely. There are other areas who are faced with
these types of situations and they have done right by its citizens. A prime
example is Morrisville, Pa. where they were trying to put a waste facility
up there. They had cooperation, from the citizens up to the local government.
In fact, they took the ordinance we (Chester City Council) passed in 1994
and mirrored and strengthened it to keep the company out. Whereas here,
the city council has just reversed our ordinance. They called it redesigning
it, but now it is almost non-effective.
Wilson: The permitting is done through the state, but the city should
be loud and clear on something that's bad for the citizens. That doesn't
mean if someone has a right to do something, we can block them. We can't
be biased toward a business, even if we don't like the business. Because
then they appeal, go through the process and still beat you. We do need,
as elected leaders, to get on board and get more involved in this situation.
There has been no plant that's come in since we've (his administration)
has been in office.
Q. Is the health of Chester's residents effected by the trash plants?
Mayfield: Most definitely. That's almost a no-brainer. You can not put
these facilities in a community where there is already poor health and a
lack of accessibility to health care, where the infant mortality rate is
the greatest in the state, and not expect it to degrade more. It's extremely
difficult to say it's done this or that. But we know when we can look across
the street and see trees die it is indicative to what is happening to us.
It's the canary in the mine situation.
Wilson: I can't answer that. I read the studies, but if somebody
challenged me I could not document (the findings.) But if there's one pollutant
in the air, I'd be opposed to it.
Q. If another waste facility wanted to locate in the city, would you
reject it?
Mayfield: I would, as would a good part of the city. We'd dig in the
trenches and fight for our survival. This is not an issue of people vs.
capitalism, its a life or death situation for this community. Past history
shows, when these things come into a city, it almost kills any chance of
economic revitalization. It makes people flee from the city. I know people
who have left because these plants are here.
Wilson: I would oppose that. Absolutely. There will be no more on
my watch.
Q. Is race a factor in the clustering of these facilities in Chester?
Mayfield: Yes. If you ask people in Chester, They know that. It's people
who live outside of Chester who don't believe that environmental racism
can occur. Look in your neighborhood and tell me if these facilities are
there. These things are sited in black communities. Race is the number one
indication of why they are placed in community.
Wilson: It's not a racial thing. It has to do with poor people. It's
the oppression of poor people.
Q. Chester's government at one time tried to build its own trash plant.
Why was there no outcry about environmental racism?
Mayfield: I did not speak to Mayor (Willie Mae) Leake about it. I believe
at that time, the administration saw the economic injustice of what was
happening, (Westinghouse) getting $70/ton to burn waste, and we were designated
to get $2.50/ton. They were thinking purely about economics. They saw clearly
how the people of Chester were getting shafted economically and they pursued
their own project.
Wilson: Now your getting to the heart of it. Was there racism there?
Q. Do you see any benefit to the plants?
Mayfield: No, I do not. People will talk in terms of jobs, in terms
of the boost to the economy, but in actuality these things do not create
a lot of jobs.
Wilson: It's a tax base. We have the highest tax per capita in the
state, quite possibly in the country. We must do something about that. We
can't do it on the backs of the people.
Last modified: 19 February 1998
http://www.ejnet.org/chester/delcotimes.html