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Midway Village Residents & Greenaction Block PG&E's Front Gate Demanding Permanent Relocation, Health Care and Just Compensation Check out the Midway Village Home Page See Also: For more information, contact:
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PG&E Truck Drives Into Peaceful Protesters Daly City, CA -- Residents of the Midway Village housing project in Daly City and the environmental justice organization Greenaction demonstrated today at the front gate of PG&E's Martin Service Center next to the toxic contaminated neighborhood to demand health care, just compensation and permanent relocation. Protesters blocked the entrance to the PG&E facility for one hour, but police did not make arrests. Residents and Greenaction took this nonviolent direct action due to PG&E's continuing refusal to negotiate or fairly address the residents' concerns. Numerous PG&E trucks were blocked during today's protest. At 12:50 p.m. a PG&E truck drove into the picketline of peaceful protesters, hitting Greenaction Director Bradley Angel. Police witnessed the assault and battery but refused to arrest the PG&E worker responsible. The recent protests and revelations of widespread illnesses among the residents have brought government agencies to the negotiating table, and elected officials have begun to support the community's demands. Residents are furious that PG&E continues to stonewall and refuses to meet or negotiate in good faith. Midway Village is operated by the San Mateo County Housing Authority. The 150 units are occupied by approximately 500 people of color. Midway Village and Bayshore Park were built on land contaminated with toxic substances, notably polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons (PNAs), a class of compounds of which many are known carcinogens. Other toxics including Chromium VI, cyanide and lead are also present. The contaminants are from the neighboring PG&E site. PG&E "discovered" the serious toxic problem on their property in 1984, but residents living across the fence line at Midway were not informed until six years later. Residents demand that PG&E and government agencies resolve this decades-long tragedy now. Residents are suffering from serious illnesses including cancer, skin problems, respiratory problems, sterility and possibly from genetic defects. |