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Hundreds Protest at I.E.S. Incinerators! 6/28/01 Coalition for Healthy Communities and Environmental Justice In Response to Many New Violations and Permit Suspension at IES Incinerators in East Oakland: Hundreds of Youth, Seniors, Cancer Survivors, Teachers, Soccer Moms & Community, Health and Environmental Justice Groups Rally for Worker and Community Health See Also: Join the protest against
the IES Medical Waste Incinerators! Download the flyer in English or Spanish
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Coalition Vows to Begin Direct Action Campaign! IES Ignores Request From Coalition to Negotiate: Coalition Announces Nonviolent Direct Action Campaign to Force IES to Stop Incineration Oakland, CA -- Over 250 Oakland and Alameda youth, senior citizens, cancer survivors, soccer moms and community, health and environmental justice groups protested today in front of the Integrated Environmental Systems medical waste incinerators at 499 High Street, Oakland. Fed up with toxic emissions, ongoing serious violations of IES' permit and the law, and the company's refusal to negotiate, the community coalition declared its intention to escalate the campaign. The Coalition sent a letter to IES on May 10, 2001 requesting negotiations, and a new letter to IES was sent on June 22, 2001. Even though we gave IES a deadline to respond to our written requests by 5 p.m. yesterday, they have yet again failed to respond. Unless IES announces plans within the next two weeks to stop all incineration soon, the coalition will begin a nonviolent civil disobedience campaign to force IES to replace their medical waste incinerators with safer non-incineration treatment technologies to protect worker and community health. The IES incinerators emit dioxin, mercury and other toxic chemicals and metals into the air of surrounding neighborhoods. IES has a history of hundreds of incinerator permit violations. Adding fuel to the fire of community concern, IES recently was found in serious violation of their permit and California law for large scale illegal storage of medical waste as well as other violations. In response to these violations, on May 24th the State Department of Health Services issued a Cease and Desist Order to IES. IES then violated the Cease and Desist Order and compliance agreement, prompting state officials on June 13, 2001 to suspend the company's permit for 30 days. "Our community is tired of the toxic emissions from the IES incinerators," said Jackie Carrasco, local East Oakland resident. "We will keep protesting until IES stops burning medical waste and becomes a good neighbor." |