An article in The Washington Post today illustrates the extreme importance of The State of Environmental Justice in America 2007 Conference. The article by reporter Lynn Duke is titled, "A Well of Pain: Their Water Was Poisoned by Chemicals. Was Their Treatment Poisoned by Racism?" The article covers a full page in the Style section, with another heading, "In Tennessee, a Crusade for Environmental Justice." Great article Ms. Duke. There is a video at the article link above.
The article covered the sad story of Sheila Holt-Orsted and her family's fight against, "the contaminated water, the cancers, the allegations of racism, the lawsuit." The Holt family and the rest of the neighborhood are 500 feet away from the county landfill and the local well water is contaminated with trichloroethylene (TCE). Holt-Orsted says toxics were dumped 57 feet away. An automotive company is allegedly responsible for the TCE contamination. There are many cancers and other ailments throughout the neighborhood. Ms. Holt-Orsted suffers from breast cancer. Her complaints center on disparate treatment by government officials. Holt-Orsted now lives in Virginia.
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