Greenaction Report From The Frontlines

By Bradley Angel, Greenaction Executive Director

See Also:

	Huge Victory For Environmental Justice! Mercury Waste From Taiwan Dumped in Cambodia Will Not Be Re-Dumped in Westmorland, CA! Press Coverage: BBC News Los Angeles Times San Jose Mercury News
	Greenaction Supports Taiwan Communities in Anti-toxics Struggle! See press release of Taiwan Environmental Action Network

Little Westmorland, California Fights Back Against Toxic Polluters

Westmorland, California Like the other two Class I toxic waste dumps in the state of California, Safety-Kleen's dump in Westmorland is located in a low-income, predominantly Spanish-speaking farmworker community. Many residents believe their small community was targeted for a toxic dump because of they are low-income and people of color, and they were perceived as unable to defend themselves against the big companies who have run the dump for about 20 years. Residents believe they are victims of environmental racism by the dump company and the government, who cooperated with Safety-Kleen's attempt to turn this little community into an international toxic waste dump.

I have just returned from Westmorland, and I am glad to report that residents of Westmorland and the Imperial Valley are informed, angry and organizing up a storm to oppose the dump in their community.

When Safety-Kleen attempted in February to import mercury-contaminated waste from Taiwan to the Westmorland dump, they did not imagine the uproar that would result. The waste from the Formosa Plastics PVC chemical plant in Taiwan had been dumped illegally in Cambodia, and Safety-Kleen attempted to import the waste to Westmorland for disposal in what they claimed was a remote, isolated desert landfill. Safety-Kleen's plan has now backfired!

When Greenaction found out about the importation scheme, we alerted the Westmorland community and helped them start organizing to defeat the plan. We worked with California Communities Against Toxics, Basel Action Network and the Taiwan Environmental Action Network to get the waste cleaned up in Cambodia, stop the importation to Westmorland, and get the waste returned to Formosa Plastics in Taiwan. We succeeded in getting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reverse their approval of the importation of the mercury waste, proving that the waste was more toxic than Safety-Kleen was saying.

Today the waste is in a ship in a Taiwan harbor. We are remaining vigilant to prevent a second attempt to import the waste to a U.S. community. We will continue to work with groups in Taiwan and elsewhere to oppose attempts to dump this poison waste on other communities as well.

In the wake of the victory against the importation plan, Greenaction has joined with residents of Westmorland and surrounding communities to go on the offensive against the dump operated by Safety-Kleen. Contrary to the claims made in the company's written public relations material, the dump is not isolated or remote. In fact, people live next to the toxic waste dump. I visited with some of these long-time residents, who spoke in Spanish about the health problems affecting them and their neighbors. If one was to believe Safety-Kleen's propaganda, these residents don't even exist.

Residents have formed a new group, Concerned Residents of Imperial County for Environmental Justice, and have joined California Communities Against Toxics.

Greenaction spoke at a community meeting in Westmorland on April 29, 1999. Alfredo Figueroa, our Greenaction Board member from the Imperial Valley, joined me to help represent our organization at the meeting. Residents are united in demanding that no waste from other countries be imported for dumping in their community. Local City and County officials who previously either supported or tolerated the dump have now agreed to review the company's Conditional Use Permit, as it was never envisioned as an international toxic waste dump. Greenaction has been asked by residents and local officials to assist them in reviewing the company's permit, which we have agreed to do. City and County officials are joining with residents to demand the U.S. EPA and the State Department of Toxics come to Westmorland for a community meeting to discuss this issue.

The residents of Westmorland may be poor, and many speak only Spanish, but their lives and health are as important as the health of the wealthy owners of Safety-Kleen and Formosa Plastics. Greenaction is honored to be working with the community to fight for health, a clean environment, and justice for all.