April 22 rally and canvassing in East Waterloo
On Earth Day, April 22, at 2 p.m., concerned residents of eastern Iowa will gather at Sullivan Park (E. 4th St. and Adams) in East Waterloo to share information and organizing strategies. We'll head into the streets with fact sheets about the coal plant proposal, lawn signs, and petitions. This is the neighborhood that will bear the worst of the proposed plant's impact on health and property values. Come stand with your neighbors and make your voice heard!
The East Waterloo location is significant for several reasons. First, as you drive toward Waterloo along Newell St. from the proposed plant site, this is the first neighborhood you reach. Second, the neighborhood has a large African American population, and a report sponsored by the Black Leadership Forum and partners indicates that 68% of African Americans live within 30 miles of a coal-fired power plant. That number is 56% for white Americans. Maximum health impacts from coal-fired generation occur within 30 miles of the smokestack plume. We cannot allow Iowans to fall victim to this tragic racial divide. Our community must unite to stop it.
Sullivan Park has playground equipment, picnic tables and restrooms. Bring the family!
posted by Carrie @ 8:25 AM
5 comments
5 Comments:
Come on now. I can see opposing a coal fired generator on the very principle of poor planning, lack of need, etc, but the racial thing is beyond me. To me this is akin to saying, litterally 100% of all white people who drink water will die. This is an interesting factoid, maybe even a statistic, but not a good argument for or against the drinking of water.
The point is that African Americans are statistically far more likely to suffer the increased health impacts of living close to a coal-fired power plant. The reasons for this are certainly complex, but it's a fact. This disparate impact on African American communities does look like a good reason to be concerned when yet another coal-fired power plant is proposed right next to one of the largest African American communities in a very white state.
Get The facts How can you oppose something without first getting hard data? Is the information you are passing out current data or history. Learn current info and then its time for an informed decision.
The data we're providing is about similar coal plants (mostly smaller ones) that have been built recently. LS Power (now doing business in Iowa as Elk Run Energy Associates LLC) has only passed out short press releases so far. When they've provided details about their plans, we'll respond to that.
In the meantime, there is reliable information available about the emissions of a coal-fired power plant this size and the public health and environmental impacts. That's what we're using, and we invite you to do your own research as well. That's what the links are for. If you'd like to suggest other links, we will post every comment relevant to this discussion (the only ones we're rejecting are spam advertising).
I have to wonder if the people that disagree with what has been handed out for information, have spent any time doing any research on their own. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to research this on the web.
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