Dr. Gloria Horning, who has helped the Wedgewood community organize against the landfills in their neighborhood, has sent the county the following letter:
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Gentlemen:
I am writing on behalf of the citizens of the Wedgewood Communities concerning the fire that continues to smolder in the Rolling Hills C&D Landfill.
Our neighborhood has been, and remains ground zero for unregulated dumping allowed by the county and the state for over a decade. Hydrogen sulfide and other toxins affect our homes, parks and yards. Now we are ground zero for the toxic fire and smoke coming from the landfill that you causally refer to as a “nuisanceâ€.
Perhaps you do not understand the impact of simply “nuisances†such as burning brush or vegetation. Perhaps, before it is abolished, you could go to the EPA website on wood smoke and find out just how hazardous the chemical compounds of wood smoke are, especially on vulnerable populations. Here is the link.
After the explosion of the black liquor at the IP paper mill the response was swift. Homes were cleaned, people housed away from their homes, health surveys and outreach was immediately available. In Wedgewood, we are still waiting for a response to an environmental hazard affecting our health.
The Wedgewood community has suffered enough. Enough is enough. We demand testing of the soil, additional air monitoring, and the same response provided to the communities near the paper mill. The health of our communities is just as important as the neighborhoods near the paper mill. For years, we have “lived” with toxic air, soil and water and now we are hostages in our homes because of what our government refers to as a simple “nuisanceâ€.
Immediate action to ensure our safety is your responsibility. Please let us know what action the County is taking to address the health issues facing our neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Gloria G.Horning, Ph.D.
Wedgewoodb Rolling Hills/ Olive Heights HOA.