White
River Toxic Action Committee
PO Box 1400, White River
Jct, VT 05001
Through
the 1970s and 80s, Parkway
Cleaners ran a dry cleaning business on Hazen St. Unfortunately, this company left behind a legacy of toxic
chemicals that they had dumped on their site.
The chemicals have since seeped down into the soil, and almost certainly
into the groundwater under our community, including both the White and
Connecticut Rivers. The toxic
chemicals, namely PERC, are now rising into our homes, polluting our air and
threatening our health.
Unfortunately,
the money allocated by Vermont’s government for this cleanup has run out, but
the contamination problem is not yet solved.
In fact, the original Parkway Cleaners site sits untouched, still laden
with chemicals. The Department of
Environmental Conservation is working to force the current property owners, to
take responsibility for their property and move forward with a cleanup.
We have formed the White River Toxic Action Committee (WRTAC), and are working
with Senator John Campbell and Toxics Action Center, a non-profit, to
gather support and press to insure that we are not forgotten under the piles of
red tape, and that the neighborhood is cleaned up.
The
Department of Environmental Conservation, the Agency of Commerce and Community
Development, and the local community must work together to find fair and
adequate funding for the cleanup of affected homes and for the full remediation
of the contaminated site. The safety
and health of the community of White River Junction and our critical river
resources must be prioritized. Firm and
decisive action must be taken to ensure residents need not bear another year in
polluted homes. We need your support so that we may be heard loud and clear
that our neighborhood, our properties, and our health, are not acceptable
casualties.
I support the efforts of the White River Toxic Action
Committee as they seek funding to protect their community from toxic pollution.
Name
______________________________________________
Organization
______________________________________________
Address
______________________________________________
City,
State ______________________________________________
Phone
# ______________________________________________
Fax
# ______________________________________________
E-Mail
______________________________________________
In support
of the effort, I pledge to:
Write a letter to DEC Commissioner, Laura Pelosi
Submit an opinion editorial regarding the stagnation of the
cleanup effort
Meet with Brownfields Program chief George Desch
Research and help solicit potential new funding sources
Contact Town or State government officials regarding your
concerns, and urge their support.