Will Commissioners see the light?

For what it's worth, Mark Chilton was very helpful in making the request to the BOCC for 5 minutes time to be heard. Moses Carey emailed back that the agenda had been set, and that time would be allotted to the coalition only if the AOG agreed. Anyone who can't attend, but would like to support the cause, please drop an email to your elected officials asking them to allow the Rogers Rd community to present their case.

The Orange County Democratic Party Executive Committee will be holding their executive meeting on Thursday as well, and one of the items on the agenda is support of the coalition..again, if you're a registered democrat, send an email to Jack Sanders ( you can find it at orangedems.com) voicing your support of the community.

If as the arrogant Mose Carey has implied, the Coalition is not aloud to speak, then the meeting should be disrupted until time is provided. The time for playing nice or by the rules of those who want this issue to disappear is over.

It is also time for all those who believe that the Rogers Road neighborhood has long been abused, to publicly remove their support from any and all politicians that have not openly agreed to right this wrong. Words alone are no longer enough.

Aarne Vesilind's history is okay as far as it goes. It does not relate the conscious decision on the part of the County Commissioners (Carey among them) in 1992 to not incorporate an aggressive waste reduction strategy with the landfill search. This was the suggestion made by a coalition of activists representing nearly all of the potential landfill sites. Also, two landfill sites was suggested but never considered.

Long story short - the inability of the county leadership to take responsibility for our own trash resulted in a predictable failed landfill search (sites being considered were way too large because waste reduction was not factored in) and the situation we are now in whereby the consensus is that we should foist our trash on some poor people somewhere out beyond our borders.

We need to assume responsibility for our trash, suck it up, and site two landfills/recycling centers in Orange County.

Thank you MArk
As one who has worked hard for over 10 years for the Roger's Road community it has been a little disheartening to see your efforts and mine discounted or denied by some for political gain.Not that it will stop me and you ,and others,from continuing our support but it is disappointing to have years of support and work misrepresnented.I do know though that the people we have supported know what we have done so it's ok.
JAcquie Gist

Will mentions above his great compendium
http://citizenwill.org/2007/03/13/trash-talk-aarne-vesilinds-history/

including Aarne Vesilind's history (also referenced by Mark M above):

http://citizenwill.org/2007/03/13/trash-talk-aarne-vesilinds-history/
"Abutting this land was a vibrant black community, the Rogers Road neighborhood. They did not want the landfill so close to their homes and went to Mayor Howard Lee for help. The mayor talked them into accepting the decision and promised them that this would be the one and only landfill that would be located near their neighborhood, and if they could endure this affront for 10 years the finished landfill would be made into a neighborhood park.
Most importantly, they were told that the next solid waste landfill for Chapel Hill would be somewhere else and that their area would not become a permanent dumping site. The citizens of the Rogers Road neighborhood grudgingly accepted this deal and promise and then watched as the Orange County Regional Landfill was built near their community.

…

Although Lee acknowledged making this promise, this was never found on any written document. In addition, the people who lived in the Rogers Road neighborhood were told that the LSC was not bound by promises made by former elected officials."

I asked Howard about this last year. he told me that Bob Holliday (now a sportcaster for WRAL, then a reporter for WCHL) had actually taped the meeting with Howard and the Rogers Road residents, and he (Howard) thought Bob had given him a copy of the tape, but he wasn't sure where it was around his house. Wonder if the 'CHL archives have the audio, or if Howard kept it?

I wonder what Howard Lee is waiting for?

ask him

Nah, Ruby. It is like those pesky little parents who wanted adequate money for schools this year. Just some little "special interest group". We know how the BoCC feels about them.

Rev Campbell said last night at the BOCC meeting that he's tired of talk and is demanding action. Mark's saga confirms the fact that there has indeed been a lot of talk and very little action. Maybe it's time for the old and new supporters of this neighborhood to put their political agendas aside and work together to make something happen.

Chapel Hill and Carrboro could work together to put the neighborhood back together under one jurisdiction. Carrboro could shoulder the debt of running the sewer lines closer to the neighborhood making it financially feasible for them to get a low cost loan and connect. Chapel Hill could adopt the same degree of aggressive neighborhood protection as they use to require OWASA to eliminate odors around the sewage treatment facility.

There are actions that the two sets of town leaders can take without the BOCC. So what's the hold up? Sounds like there is plenty of political will in Carrboro.

Wow, it is great to watch a great leader emerge.

It is my understanding that the Orange County Democratic Committee voted tonight to join the coalition. Welcome to the fight for justice.

Dave, the Orange County Democratic Party did not join any coalition last night, no one asked us to nor would we, whether
Rogers Road or any other. We're a political party organized largely under state law, we don't join temporary coalitions, that's not one of our roles, much as we may all agree with their goals.

We did pass the following resolution last night:

RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF
THE ROGERS ROAD COMMUNITY

BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Democratic Party recognizes the siting of the waste transfer station adjacent to the landfill was made over the objections of the Rogers Road Community that has already endured the negative impacts of nearby solid waste facilities for 35 years; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Democratic Party asks the Orange County Board of Commissioners to reconsider its earlier decision to site the waste transfer station adjacent to the Rogers Road community, which has already borne more than its share of the burden of waste disposal, and to conduct a thorough public search for an alternative site; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Democratic Party supports the Rogers Road community in its requests to the several local governments and agencies for the amenities being brought forward by the Historic Rogers Road Community Enhancement Plan Development and Monitoring Task Force.

Paul, thanks for the correction. I hope the resolution is just a start and the Orange County Democratic Party goes beyond the words. I would hope that the Democratic Party let all the elected Democrats know they should act on this resolution and all aspiring office holders should make this issue a high priority plank in their platform. Silence is no longer acceptable.

Terri, those are great suggestions---they don't require any action by the BOCC and would be a great help to that neighborhood.

I guess no school board members want to answer the question I posed about the new school being located in that neighborhood. Does anyone else have ideas on why they located it near the landfill/possible transfer station and how landfill & TOC traffic will affect it, as well as possible buzzard attacks on children?

It should be noted that Paul made the motion to water down the original resolution, which laid out the history of the area and specifically called into question the BOCC's neglect of a complete search before making the vote to site the transfer station on Eubanks.

Paul said doesn't believe there is social and environmental injustice in this case.

No Katrina, I didn't say that. I said we, the OCDP were not in the position to judge whether there is a "social and environmental injustice" in this case, especially since you and others have apparantly become a party to a federal suit against the BOCC which uses just that charge.

We members of the OCDP should not be making such judgements, in my opinion, at least not in this case, and most of the OCDP precinct officers there last night (about 40) agreed with me (again, at least in this case) as we decided, by about a 2-1 margin, not to support your resolution but instead adopt my substitute, posted above, to ask the BOCC to reconsider its decision and do a through public search for alternative sites, without laying out the history of the area (known very well already by all members of the BOCC) nor in pointing the finger of blame at BOCC members, which you appear to want to do in order to feather your own political nest.

Sorry, I was wrong above when I said Katrina is party to a federal lawsuit, it appears it is a formal complaint filed agains the BOCC and the towns with the federal Dept. of Justice, although according to the CHH yesterday, an information officer at DOJ said he could find no record of such complaint.

Katrina, can you clarify what was filed and with whom?

The complaint has been filed. It is in the process of being " accepted" by the DOJ and being assigned a number, which is what would make it appear in the system.

I am not a party in the complaint, as the transfer station has no negative effect on me personally. I've just been involved with the neighborhoods trials to bring this action to fruition.

There was nothing in the original resolution ( whose language was crafted by the neighbors themselves) which accused anyone of anything other than what is in the public record.

Greg Maier spoke very eloquently last night about the tendency of non-minority liberals to take up the cause of minority groups and then not listen to the real concerns of those groups.

I believe that a part of supporting the neighborhood is honoring their words, and telling their story.

The original resolution is as follows:

SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE IN THE ROGERS ROAD COMMUNITY OF ORANGE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA

WHEREAS the Rogers Road Community, just north of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, is a historic area with roots going back to the late 1800s when Rogers Road was a wagon-track through black-owned family farmland and saw mills and when the community established its own school for black children not allowed to attend school elsewhere; and

WHEREAS the Orange Regional Landfill was opened in 1972 on Eubanks Road adjacent to the Rogers Road Community and over its strong objections. Howard Lee, mayor of Chapel Hill, convinced the community to accept the landfill for ten years and promised that no other landfills would be opened near them and that a park would be established when the landfill closed. That was 35 years ago, and the community is still waiting for that park; and

WHEREAS local government has continued to site waste facilities near the community: a second solid waste landfill opened in 1995; a Construction and Demolition waste landfill has been opened; there are yard and hazardous waste collection sites, recycling and garbage drop-off centers, a materials recovery landfill, and a leachate pond for liquid waste; and

WHEREAS the Orange Regional Landfill has posed environmental risks to the Rogers Road Community - the well water used by some residents has tested positive for arsenic and gasoline, and other residents complain of water that tastes “oily,” “smelly,” and “cloudy;” and

WHEREAS other environmental problems such as noxious odors, vermin, litter along roadsides, traffic, reduced air quality, and noise have all been exacerbated in the Rogers Road Community as a direct result of the Orange Regional Landfill; and

WHEREAS the Orange Regional Landfill has taken an economic toll on the Rogers Road Community through lower real estate values; and

WHEREAS the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a resolution in March of 2007, over the strong opposition of the Rogers Road Community, to site a waste transfer station adjacent to the Orange Regional Landfill that will only add to the community's environmental concerns about noise, odor, litter, traffic, air quality, and disease-carrying vectors such as rodents and roaches;

WHEREAS the establishment of a Historic Rogers Road Community Enhancement Plan Development and Monitoring Task Force charged with determining the will of the community regarding amenities needed to improve the quality of life of the community and with developing and recommending to the BOCC a plan to address those quality of life issues offers an opportunity to redress in part the burdens borne by the community;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Democratic Party recognizes the siting of the waste transfer station adjacent to the landfill and over the objections of the Rogers Road community that has already endured the negative impacts of nearby solid waste facilities for 35 years as a social and environmental injustice to that community; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Democratic Party asks the Board of County Commissioners to reverse its earlier decision to site the waste transfer station adjacent to the Rogers Road community, which has already borne more than its share of the burden of waste disposal, and instead to conduct a thorough public search for an alternative site; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Orange County Democratic Party supports the Rogers Road community in its requests to the several local governments and agencies for the amenities being brought forward by the Historic Rogers Road Community Enhancement Plan Development and Monitoring Task Force.

Submitted by the Hogan Farms Precinct.

"Greg Maier spoke very eloquently last night about the tendency of non-minority liberals to take up the cause of minority groups and then not listen to the real concerns of those groups. "

Very interesting and well said by Greg. When I made a similar statement on STP a while back, as well as complained about the racist statements being made, Terri B was the only person to join me in support. It's interesting to now see all of those who now feel motivated to care.

As I'm sure you remember, there was a lot of concern that information in more than one of the whereas clauses was not "fact" but allegation. In fact, I think that was a more important reason the whereas clauses were stricken than the accusatory nature of it.

It certainly appears to me the commissioners, who were stuck with making a decision on this and made it, have been and continue to listen to the Rogers Road residents in a variety of ways.

What you who say they are not listening appear to mean is "they are not agreeing to our demands."

A transfer station really is an admission that we aren't willing to be responsible for our own trash. That is problematic to me, but having reviewed the public regarding the previous search for a land fill I understand the trepidation of the commissioners in embarking on another such search.

You know, there is a brown field right in the middle of the center of trash generation that happens to be located right on the train tracks. Sounds ideal doesn't it ?

oops...that should be public records etc...

Any trepidation the commissioners feel should stem from a fear that they would totally screw up a landfill siting process in the same way the commissioners of 1991-92 did. In fact Moses Carey was a leader in that debacle.

Basically what we are hearing is "don't dump on the poor community we know, dump on some poor community out yonder". What is the real difference in social consciousness?

Seems to me part of what we're hearing is "don't dump on this community any more; it's already been dumped on three times longer than originally arranged."

Paul,

I don't see anything that reads as an allegation with the exception of, perhaps, the sentence describing Howard Lee's role in the original siting of the landfill, and to that you heard from an eyewitness to the event.

Fred,

I joined you on STP in admonishing Mark Gill for the inflamatory language he used, and have worked very hard to try to listen to the Rogers Rd neighborhood.

We have helped in the ways which we have been asked to help. Sharon has spent considerable time building homes in the habitat for humanity community which has become part of the neighborhood. I have now, for a few years running, led a fund raising drive for school supplies for the neighborhood. We both petitioned Carrboro to use available sidewalk bond funds to supply the neighborhood with sidewalks on the Carrboro side of the street. We were amongst the first to collect petitions to present to all three local governing bodies requesting that the transfer station be placed elsewhere. It should be noted that when asked by the BOCC this spring, neither Chapel Hill nor Carrboro took the time to answer the BOCC request for input on the siting of the facility.

Many of us who worked earlier this spring were quite discouraged at the lack of support form the community at large. It took Neloa and Reverend Campbell, along with two graduate students from UNC's school of public health to revitalize the neighborhood and bein the fight anew.

We appreciate the support of members of the Chapel Hill town council in NOT expediting this approval process, and we look forward to working with them in the future.

Katrina, do you favor a transfer station at all, or think we should site a new landfill, which would not be on the site of the present landfill or the site of the present transfer station?

Sorry, I meant not on the site of the proposed transfer station in my last post, it ain't there yet!

Thank you, Katrina.

Mark, while I wish all of the injustice in the world could end, I can't manage that. I am convinced that we, as a community, can end THIS injustice.

Fred, I was also taken aback by the language use in what was my thread on STP. I asked for the epitaphs to end and also made a request to the administrator to remove the offending posts. This was done. However, I apologize to you or anyone else that was the target of that unfortunate behavior. That behavior crossed boundaries that I do not in anyway condone. i would also like to see you return to the STP as I think your voice adds much to the discussions. Both these blogs are worth while.

If this injustice, as you see it, is ended, Katrina, what do you propose to do with our trash?

You're running for office. What is the "Ryan Plan" for solid waste disposal?

For Paul Falduto--who has just made me sick--evidently, it is your contention that landfills do not pose environmental risks to adjacent neighborhoods. Have you been living on the moon?

FACT: WHEREAS the Rogers Road Community, just north of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, is a historic area with roots going back to the late 1800s . . . black-owned family farmland and saw mills and when the community established its own school for black children not allowed to attend school elsewhere; and

FACT: WHEREAS the Orange Regional Landfill was opened in 1972 on Eubanks Road adjacent to the Rogers Road Community . . . . Howard Lee, . . . , convinced the community to accept the landfill for ten years and promised that no other landfills would be opened near them . . . .That was 35 years ago, and the community is still waiting for that park; and

FACT: WHEREAS local government has continued to site waste facilities near the community: . . . .

FACT: WHEREAS the Orange Regional Landfill has posed environmental risks to the Rogers Road Community - the well water used by some residents has tested positive for arsenic and gasoline, and other residents complain of water that tastes “oily,” “smelly,” and “cloudy;” and

FACT: WHEREAS other environmental problems such as noxious odors, vermin, litter along roadsides, traffic, reduced air quality, and noise have all been exacerbated in the Rogers Road Community as a direct result of the Orange Regional Landfill; and

FACT: WHEREAS the Orange Regional Landfill has taken an economic toll on the Rogers Road Community through lower real estate values; and

FACT: WHEREAS the Orange County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a resolution in March of 2007, over the strong opposition of the Rogers Road Community, to site a waste transfer station adjacent to the Orange Regional Landfill that will only add to the community's environmental concerns . . .

FACT: WHEREAS the establishment of a Historic Rogers Road Community Enhancement Plan Development and Monitoring Task Force . . . .

Ms. Jones, exactly where did I write or when did I say that landfills "do not pose environmental risks to adjacent neighborhoods?"

Where should the trash go? In your backyard, Paul--where it really belongs. Is that what you're afraid of? That you might get the garbage?

And let me also ask Ms. Jones and Katrina this question: do you think the BOCC can find a new site for the transfer station, buy it, get the permits, clear it, put utilities and other improvements in it, build the facility, contract with a long-haul trucking firm, find a landfill in another county to take our waste, all by Nov. 2009, when you "demand" the landfill to be closed?

Do you consider the "Whereas" clauses below as fact or allegation? These were the only two I could imagine that you might be referring to as allegations--but with you, who knows! Howard Lee himself has admitted to his part. So what's left as allegation? As far as I am concerned, you clearly live on the moon.

FACT: WHEREAS other environmental problems such as noxious odors, vermin, litter along roadsides, traffic, reduced air quality, and noise have all been exacerbated in the Rogers Road Community as a direct result of the Orange Regional Landfill; and

FACT: WHEREAS the Orange Regional Landfill has taken an economic toll on the Rogers Road Community through lower real estate values; and

Frankly, I don't give a hoot how they do it--the commissioners are responsible for the years they wasted doing nothing, not this community; they screwed up, they need to fix it. And, no, this community should NOT be victimized BECAUSE the commissioners didn't their jobs.
But I'm done with that. Truthfully, you make me sick.

Katrina,

You must have misunderstood something - of course no-one is expected to single-handedely solve the problems of the World. We can however make the ethical choice to not dump on any community - Rogers Rd. or East Gibbip, Kentucky, or South Doormat, Virginia, etc. Dumping on any of them is equally egregious.

The only responsible solution is to handle our own waste in our own area.

"The only responsible solution is to handle our own waste in our own area."

Amazing...I agree with Mark.