West Oakland and Midway Village (Daly City) Residents Unite To Protest Environmental Racism by CAL EPA/Department of Toxic Substances Control

Communities poisoned by toxic contamination speak out about illnesses, and demand relocation, proper cleanup and justice   Protest at CAL/EPA Department of Toxics 700 Heinz Street, Berkeley Friday, August 28, 1998, 12 Noon

Oakland, CA -- Residents of heavily contaminated communities in West Oakland and Midway Village in Daly City joined together on Friday, August 28, 1998 at 12 noon to demand environmental justice at the offices of the California Environmental Protection Agency Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC), 700 Heinz Street, Berkeley.

These low-income communities of color are suffering ill health effects from living so close to toxic chemical contamination, and are fed up with the DTSC's failure to relocate the residents or adequately clean up the dangerous toxics in their neighborhoods. Backed by supporters from over 20 environmental justice and health groups, the two communities demanded the DTSC begin a better clean up in Midway Village and West Oakland and relocate the impacted residents.

Henry Clark of the West County Toxics Coalition confronts state officals as protesters look on inside the offices of the California EPA

Residents living in these toxic communities gave personal testimonies about the terrible ill health effects they and their families are suffering. Cancers, respiratory illnesses and other health problems are rampant in both Midway Village and West Oakland.

	Midway Village and West Oakland residents blast environmental racism of state officials
	"We Demand Justice"

Community groups also blasted the DTSC for failing to respond to a June 1, 1998 letter sent from the Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice regarding the DTSC's violations of Title VI of the U.S. Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its callous actions towards low-income communities of color disproportionately impacted by pollution.

Midway Village is a housing project built on top of and next to a massive toxic site from a plant that converted oil into gas. West Oakland's Chester Street neighborhood was poisoned by old chemical and fertilizer plants near their homes.

Contact:

Midway Residents for Environmental Justice	(415) 467-4892
Midway for Children's Health and Environmental Justice	(707) 557-9993
Chester Street Block Club Association	(510) 444-4494
West County Toxics Coalition	(510) 232-3427
Greenaction	(415) 248-5010