Thread by @GreenRootsEJ

BREAKING: This is what environmental racism looks like. @MassDOT & @MassDEP are stockpiling asbestos debris in the EJ community of Chelsea, near a public housing development. EJ communities are not sacrifice zones! Read the full statement by our ED Roseann Bongiovanni ⬇️

We are in utmost frustration, disgust and disbelief that the State of Massachusetts has contributed to further environmental racism and classism for the already disproportionately burdened environmental justice community of Chelsea.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, with the approval of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, has yet again dumped hazardous waste in an EJ community despite the new and historic environmental justice legislation passed last year.

Our residents, who are majority BIPOC and low-income folks, continue to sacrifice their health and environment for the region's benefit. The outright disregard from the State in relation to the lack of environmental justice protections is infuriating and asinine.

We demand the following immediately:

1) Immediate removal of the asbestos stockpile, with proper protocols and safety measures in place, of the construction debris.
2) Full soil remediation of the site on which the pile is located.

3) Testing for asbestos in all of the adjacent apartments.
4) Remediation of any asbestos in those apartments and any and all Chelsea Housing Authority Property.
5) An apology acknowledging the state's complete disregard for #environmentaljustice protections.

6) Agreement with city leaders, community residents, the Chelsea Housing Authority and environmental justice advocates, on a Supplement Environmental Project (SEP) to be implemented this summer at the CHA development to mitigate the harm caused to our neighborhoods.