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From YouTube: Committee on Public Health and Human Services 12-12-2018
Description
The Committee on Public Health and Human Services of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Wednesday, December 12, 2018 to hear testimony on the following item:
180785 Resolution authorizing the Committee on Health and Human Services to hold hearings on environmental health disparities and the impact of pollutants in at-risk neighborhoods.
Committee on Public Health and Human Services
Chair: Councilwoman Cindy Bass (8th District)
Vice Chair: Councilwoman Maria D. Quiñones-Sánchez (7th District)
A
A
B
A
A
And
thank
you
for
being
here
before
you
begin
your
testimony.
You
know
I
just
wanted
to
thank
everyone
for
being
here
for
this
very
important
hearing
this
morning.
You
know,
as
we
talk
about
our
environment
as
we
talk
about
the
injustice
is,
and
the
inequities
in
our
neighborhoods.
So
much
of
what
we
see
in
communities,
vulnerable
communities
has
had
a
permanent
effect,
one
of
the
residents,
whether
you
think
about
you,
know
their
opportunities
or
the
way
that
the
children
in
those
neighborhoods
you
know
how
they
are
affected,
and
so
environmental
justice,
environmental
racism.
A
A
We
should
have
ample
room
to
be
able
to
accommodate
everyone
who
has
signed
up
and
if
you
haven't
signed
up,
we
want
to
encourage
you
to
do
so
at
the
table
over
here
to
my
left
and
just
put
your
name
down
and
we'd
love
to
hear
from
you.
So
please
state
your
name
for
the
record
and
begin
your
testimony.
My.
C
Morning,
Councilwoman
bass
and
members
of
the
committee
on
Health
and
Human
Services,
my
name
is
Glen
Abrams
and
I.
Am
the
senior
director
of
sustainable
communities
at
the
Pennsylvania
Horticultural
Society
I'm
pleased
to
testify
on
ways
that
our
city
can
combat
environmental
challenges
through
greening
and
to
encourage
city
council
to
direct
more
resources
toward
the
very
cost-effective
solutions
that
can
help
improve
health
outcomes
across
Philadelphia.
C
Phs
is
a
nonprofit
whose
mission
is
to
connect
people
to
horticulture
and
together,
create
beautiful,
healthy
and
sustainable
communities.
We
are
the
hub
of
a
community
of
more
than
two
hundred
thousand
members,
volunteers,
customers
and
supporters
across
the
city
and
region
who
activate
horticulture
to
advance
the
greater
good.
We
work
in
almost
every
Philadelphia
neighborhood
through
on-the-ground
community
greening
programs.
Every
day
we
work
to
address
our
city's
environmental
and
health
challenges.
C
We
know
that
Philadelphia
neighborhoods
face
environmental
challenges
in
a
20-18
analysis
of
environmental
health
and
equity
indicators
in
Philadelphia,
PHS
Indian
identity
lay
50
neighborhoods
that
ranked
as
high
need
places
where
residents
faced
high
rates
of
food
insecurity,
obesity,
respiratory
hazards,
urban
heat
island
effect
and
more
while
we
currently
work
in
many
of
these
neighborhoods
the
need
and
the
opportunity
is
far
greater
than
we
and
our
supporters,
including
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
are
currently
able
to
address.
We
also
know
that
investing
in
community
programs
that
address
environmental
challenges
can
yield
multiple
benefits.
C
C
20:18
studies
found
that
Philadelphians
living
within
a
five-minute
walk
of
greened
Lots
at
a
forty
1.5
percent
decrease
in
feelings
of
depression
and
a
63
percent
decrease
in
South
reported
poor
mental
health
in
the
lowest
income
neighborhoods.
The
effects
were
even
more
pronounced,
with
a
nearly
sixty-nine
percent
decrease
in
feelings
of
depression.
C
Earlier
this
year,
a
companion
study
found
that
neighborhoods
with
cleaned
and
green
lots,
experienced
a
29
percent
decrease
in
gun
violence.
This
work
comes
on
the
heels
of
studies
in
recent
years,
which
found
that
Landcare
treatment
resulted
in
decreased
heart
rates,
decreased
levels
of
stress
and
increased
levels
of
exercise
in
those
neighborhoods
where
the
work
was
performed,
and
it's
not
just
vacant
land
through
community
gardening
and
tree
planting
and
stewardship
efforts.
Phs
engages
thousands
of
Philadelphians
and
addressing
environmental
challenges
while
strengthening
neighborhoods.
C
We
worked
with
more
than
5,000
PHS
trained
and
certified
tree
tenders
to
plant
and
care
for
more
than
2,000
Street
trees
every
year
in
46,
neighborhoods
and
outside
of
the
city.
Each
tree
improves
air
quality,
produces
clean
oxygen
to
breathe
and
helps
to
cool
temperatures
on
our
streets,
thus
reducing
residents
air-conditioning
bills
in
the
summertime.
We
support
more
than
200
community
gardens,
including
a
network
of
a
hundred
and
fifty
City
Harvest
Gardens,
whose
fresh
grown
produce
helps
to
feed
thousands
of
philadelphians.
C
Every
year,
we
partner
closely
with
a
Philadelphia
water
department
to
manage
stormwater
both
through
large-scale
green
storm
water
infrastructure
and
with
individual
homeowner
education
through
the
PWD
rain
check
program.
This
stormwater
management
helps
prevent
sewage
from
backing
up
into
our
waterways
and
polluting
Philadelphia
neighborhoods.
C
Greening
projects
are
truly
transformational
for
the
social
and
economic
health
of
the
city.
They
build
community
by
creating
neighborhood
spaces
where
Philadelphians
come
together.
They
create
pathways
to
employment,
as
we
train
returning
citizens
for
jobs
and
horticultural
and
landscaping
industries.
C
They
raise
land
values
such
that
as
communities,
reinvest
in
their
neighborhoods
all
Philadelphians
benefit
and
they
instill
a
sense
of
civic
pride
when
our
most
physical,
visible
public
landscapes
are
maintained
to
build
beauty
for
residents
and
visitors
alike,
but
there
is
still
so
much
work
to
be
done
in
addition
to
significant
investment
already
made
by
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
other
philanthropic,
corporate
and
governor
government
supporters.
The
demand
for
this
kind
of
work
far
exceeds
the
available
resources.
C
Funding
is
especially
short
for
the
kind
of
ongoing
day-in
day-out
programs
that
build
community
and
sustain
positive
change
over
nearly
30,000
vacant
parcels
do
not
see
any
kind
of
regular
maintenance,
despite
the
thousands
of
trees
that
we
distribute
each
year.
Community
demand
exceeds
the
resources
we
have
available.
Limiting
the
number
of
trees
we
can
plant
community
gardens
across
the
city
need
technical
assistance
to
secure
stable
land
tenure,
maintain
strong
stewardship
organizations,
raise
money
and
invest
in
garden
infrastructure
with
additional
city
resources
directed
toward
greening,
initiatives
of
all
kinds.
C
A
D
Thank
you
I'm.
Sorry,
little
bit
late
I
got
caught
in
a
slow
elevator
good
morning,
chairwoman
bass
and
members
of
the
Committee
on
Public
Health
and
Human
Services,
and
dr.
Thomas
Farley
Health
Commissioner
for
Philadelphia.
Thank
you
for
allowing
me
to
touch
provide
testimony
on
resolution
number
one.
Eight,
zero,
seven,
eight
five
excuse
me:
air
pollution
is
an
important
determinant
of
human
health
pollutants
like
ozone,
sulfur
dioxide,
nitrogen
oxides
and
fine
particles,
known
as
PM
2.5
all
contribute
to
lung
disease
and
heart
disease.
D
The
Department
of
Public
Health
air
management,
Services
Unit
AMS
unit
is
responsible
for
implementing
federal
state
and
city
laws
and
regulations
designed
to
protect
health
by
reducing
emissions
of
these
pollutants.
In
Philadelphia
combustion
of
fuel
from
fixed
sources
like
power
plants
and
building
furnaces
and
mobile
sources
like
cars
and
trucks,
is
the
most
important
cause
of
air
pollution
in
the
city.
Ams
addresses
air
pollution
through
permitting
inspection
and
enforcement
action
against
fixed
sources.
The
city
has
preempted
by
federal
law
from
directly
regulating
emissions
from
mobile
sources.
D
D
D
Excuse
me
in
the
1990s
for
multiple
pollutants
to
moderate
non-attainment
for
ozone
and
PM
2.5
to
now
being
entertainment
for
all
of
the
national
ambient
air
quality
standards
except
ozone.
This
progress
has
happened
even
as
the
national
standards
for
attainment
have
become
more
stringent
for
ozone.
We
are
now
in
marginal
non-attainment
with
the
newest
in
strictest
national
standards
from
2015.
Nonetheless,
all
philadelphia
residents
can
benefit
from
additional
improvements
in
air
quality.
D
Like
you,
AMS
believes
that
low-income
and
minority
communities
should
not
bear
an
undue
burden
of
air
pollution.
People
in
these
communities
already
have
negative
health
effects
for
various
other
reasons,
and
air
pollution
should
not
add
to
that
burden.
Ams
has
an
environmental
justice
policy
based
on
Pennsylvania's
Department
of
Environmental
Protection's,
environmental
justice,
public
participation
policy.
Our
policy
aims
to
ensure
that
residents
of
low-income
and
minority
neighborhoods
are
aware
of
and
otherwise
have
the
opportunity
to
participate
in
their
permitting
process
for
nearby
facilities.
That
may
admit
large
amounts
of
pollution
known
as
major
sources.
D
Currently
we
have
a
good.
We
have
good
data
on
air
pollution
levels
citywide,
but
we
do
not
have
enough
air
quality
monitors
to
distinguish
differences
in
air
pollution
levels
in
all
the
neighborhoods
in
Philadelphia.
However,
earlier
this
year,
AMS
began
a
year-long
project
known
as
the
Philadelphia
air
quality
survey
that
uses
many
more
monitoring
sites
and
aims
to
develop
assessments
of
air
quality
at
the
neighborhood
level.
I'm
hopeful
that
in
late
2019
we'll
be
able
to
report
the
results
of
that
survey
to
you.
Thank
you
for
your
interest
in
this
important
topic.
A
E
My
name
is
Mikey
WOM.
The
founder
executive
director
of
energy
justice
network
energy
justice
network
is
a
national
organization
based
here
in
Philadelphia
I
work
with
communities
all
around
the
country,
fighting
environment,
racism
and
other
kinds
of
environment.
On
Justices,
we
start
off
by
pointing
out
that
Charles
Lee
who's,
a
senior
policy
adviser
for
EPA's
office
in
Blair,
mal
justice,
called
it
the
worst
case
of
environmental
racism.
He's
ever
seen.
He
was
talking
about
Chester
Pennsylvania,
where
Philadelphia
burns.
E
A
lot
of
our
trash
Chester
is
home
to
the
largest
trash
incinerator
and
an
incinerator
in
the
nation.
They
burn
up
to
3,500
tons
of
trash
per
day.
That's
the
number
one
place
where
Philadelphia's
been
sending
trash
over
the
term
of
our
current
contrast,
which
goes
back
to
2012.
That
incinerator
is
one
of
the
largest
air
polluters
in
the
entire
foot
off
your
region
and
Philadelphia's
right
downwind,
according
to
the
latest
EPA
data,
it's
the
third
largest
air
polluter
in
the
whole
five-county
Philadelphia
area,
and
also
third,
specifically
for
nitrogen
oxides
that
trigger
asthma
attacks.
E
Asthma,
is
a
serious
problem,
especially
in
environment,
justice
communities,
especially
in
communities
of
color,
if
there's
a
huge
disparity
in
terms
of
who's
impacted
in
Chester,
the
children,
anyone
under
18
third
childhood
asthma,
hospitalization
raves
three
times
the
state
average
Philadelphia-
is
probably
comparable.
I
just
don't
have
that
data
at
my
fingertips
right
now,
the
Asthma
and
Allergy
Foundation
of
America.
She
listed
Philadelphia
in
this
past
year
as
the
fourth
worst
place
in
the
country
to
have
asthma.
E
Now
they
even
talked
about
the
economic
impact
of
miss
school
Chris
asthma
is
one
of
the
leading
causes
of
missed
school
days
and,
of
course,
squares
and
tea.
Ism
is
connected
to
federal
funding
for
schools,
but
you
also
have
a
lot
of
missed
work
days
as
well.
They
don't
the
most
productivity
and
just
based
on
that
and
Philadelphia
being
higher
than
average
Philadelphia
is
probably
losing
about
1
billion
dollars
a
year,
just
in
productivity.
E
Now,
of
course,
I'm
here,
not
because
I
care
about
the
economic
impacts,
I
care
more
about
the
health
and
pass
on
people.
But
some
folks
are
looking
at
education
at
the
economic
impacts,
and
you
have
to
look
at
that
as
a
related
issue.
Now
we
don't
just
use.
The
incinerator
in
Chester
is
just
one
of
the
million
cases
of
Marmara
racism
in
the
entire
country,
but
we
also
use
other
incinerators
in
the
region,
including
one
in
Plymouth
in
Montgomery
County,
which
is
the
largest
air
puter
in
all
Montgomery
County.
E
We
also
use
the
one
in
Bucks
County,
which
is
where
I
grew
up,
although
it
doesn't
fit
off,
you
know,
and
that
is
the
worst
air
puter
in
Bucks
County,
and
so
we
don't
need
to
be
using
trash
incinerators.
Trash
incinerators
are
the
most
expensive
and
polluting
way
to
manage
waste
or
make
energy.
Yet
Philadelphia
has
been
relying
on
them
and
making
a
point
to
use
them
more
than
necessary,
which
actually
the
zero
is
necessary,
because
we
have
a
glut
of
landfill
space.
In
Pennsylvania
we
have
so
much
extra
landfill
space.
E
We've
been
importing
waste
from
everywhere
from
Canada
down
to
Puerto
Rico
every
state
in
between
and
out
to
Nebraska
we've
been
the
largest
importer
of
trash
since
they
started
measuring
in
the
early
90s.
So
there's
no
shortage
of
landfill
space
Philadelphia
is
using
that
to
about
60%
of
our
waste
goes
directly
to
landfills,
but
the
other
40%
is
worse
because
we
end
up
breathing
at
first
when
you
burn
trash
and
were
right,
downwind
of
the
biggest
one
in
the
country
when
we
burn
trash
for
every
100
tons.
E
You
burned,
70
tons
end
up
in
the
air
that
the
30
tons
become
toxic
ash,
which
we
still
sent
to
landfills
that
doesn't
do
any
favors
to
the
landfill
community,
still
poisons
the
groundwater,
even
worse
than
if
you
just
sent
the
trash
straight
there.
So
I'm
bringing
this
up
because
Phil
doffy
has
an
opportunity
to
do
something
different.
E
Our
contracts
that
were
currently
under
run
out
in
the
summer
of
2019,
the
streets
department,
is
working
on
new
ones
right
now,
and
the
streets
department
is
still
how
been
on
supporting
incinerators,
even
though
I've
supplied
them
with
data
making
the
arguments
they
don't
want
to
hear
it.
But
it's
clear
and
we've
done.
E
The
studies
to
prove
of
that
incinerating
is
worse
than
an
filling
of
course,
moving
toward
zero
waste,
getting
the
calm,
posting
out
or
they're,
getting
their
site
going,
Ashley
recycled
and
not
half
a
Philadelphia's
recycles
being
burned,
which
is
what's
going
on,
is
also
a
serious
step.
But
as
we
make
this
decision
on
whether
Philadelphia
science
new
waste
contrasts
with
certain
companies,
we
need
City
Council
to
intervene
because
the
streets
department
is
not
looking
at
the
science.
E
It's
not
even
necessarily
looking
at
the
economics,
and
it
definitely
needs
to
have
some
direction
from
City
Council
to
say
not
only
no
to
environmental
racism,
but
no
to
burning
in
anyone's
community.
To
put
this
in
perspective,
I've
done
some
work,
helping
the
folks
who
are
fighting
the
nice
town,
gas
ban,
which
is
a
serious
issue.
Of
course,
in
your
district
Councilwoman
and
the
nitrogen
oxide
emissions
alone
from
the
trash
incinerator
in
Chester
is
equivalent
to
57
nice
town
gas
plants.
E
57,
just
Philadelphia's
portion
of
the
trash
being
burned
in
Chester
is
equivalent
to
16
of
those
gas
pants.
So
that's
a
serious
thing
for
us
to
be
right
down
window
to
be
feeding
our
trash
to
a
facility
that
doesn't
even
have
the
produce
controls
that
most
do
so.
We
have
no
opportunity
to
change
things.
We
also
have
a
legal
obligation
to
change
things
since
we're
talking
about
Environment
justice
and
I
teach
workshops
on
environment,
racism
across
the
country,
universities
and
other
conferences.
E
Philadelphia
is
no
exception
in
terms
of
having
federal
funding,
which
means
is
subject
to
the
Civil
Rights
Act
to
title
6
of
the
Civil
Rights
Act
and
I'm.
An
attorney
I
did
a
whole
legal
paper
on
this.
It's
been
published
and
everything
that
title
6,
obligates
Philadelphia's
recipient
of
federal
funds
to
not
take
actions
to
have
a
discriminatory
impact
on
protected
classes
for
racial
minorities.
That
means
that,
instead
of
just
cutting
contrast
with
who
they
seem
to
be
buddies
with
or
seem
to
think
is
a
good
technology.
They
need
to
look
at
gee.
E
Does
this
contract
mean
there's
going
to
be
a
racially
disparate
impact?
And
if
so,
we
can't
do
it
because
it's
illegal
under
the
Civil
Rights
Act.
We
need
city
council
step
up
and
say
to
the
streets
department.
They
need
to
pay
attention
to
that
and
they
need
to
not
be
signing
any
contrast
for
burning.
Thank
you.
Well,.
A
Thank
you
very
much
for
your
testimony
and
you
can
be
sure
that
we
will
be
much
more
involved
when
it
comes
to
these
waste
contracts,
which
should
be
coming
up
soon.
One
of
the
real
quickly
I
do
want
to
acknowledge
that
councilman
blonde
over
Niles
Brown
has
joined
us
as
well.
One
of
the
questions
that
I
have
for
you
is:
can
you
give
us
some
idea
of
what
some
other
cities
are
doing
around
you
know
trash
and
and
waste,
and
how
are
they
managing
their
waste?
A
What's
their
waste
reduction
strategy
and
cities
that
are
comparable
to
Philadelphia?
Not,
he
knows
some
place,
you
know
like
Portland
or
whatever,
but
someplace
yeah.
You
know
like
here
along
the
Northeast
Corridor.
That
is
a
you
know.
Like
a
similar,
you
know
major
well
formally
major
industrial
center
city.
You
know
we
have
a
lot
of
environmental
issues
just
as
it
relates
to
that,
and
so
how
do
we
manage?
A
E
A
note
to
myself
talking
about
Baltimore-
and
this
is
a
good
opportunity,
so
I've
been
doing
a
lot
of
work
in
Baltimore
as
well.
They
have
a
trash
incinerator
in
their
borders,
of
course,
filled
off
you
used
to,
and
it's
no
longer
willing
to
do
that.
But
Baltimore
still
does
it's
their
largest
air
predator.
By
far
the
Health
Department
there
and
City
Council
and
the
mayor
have
all
stepped
up
to
the
plate
and
said
this
needs
to
go.
E
They
passed
four
unanimous
resolutions
in
City
Council,
one
on
the
climate,
one
or
zero
waste
one
on
nitrogen
oxide
pollution
and
one
specifically
challenging
that
Department
of
Public
Works,
which
is
equivalent
to
our
streets
department
on
their
backwardness
in
trying
to
keep
incineration
going
in
all
the
cities.
I've
worked
in
a
CNS
in
DC
and
also
as
well
the
it's
everyone
can
understand.
E
What's
going
on
and
look
at
the
data,
but
the
folks
whose
job
it
is
just
make
it
go
away
somewhere,
they're
just
very
entrenched
in
their
line
of
thinking,
and
you
really
need
to
shake
them
to
get
them
to
think
otherwise.
But
in
Baltimore
City
Council.
Just
two
weeks
ago,
they
introduced
a
Baltimore
clean
air
that
I
drafted
in
conjunction
with
their
health
department.
E
Their
health
department
recognizes
that
asthma
is
a
serious
problem
and
that's
mostly
driven
by
the
single
largest
emitter
of
nitrogen
oxides
in
their
city,
which
is
their
trash
incinerator,
and
so
this
ordinance
would
force
essentially
that
trash
incinerator
and
the
largest
medical
waste
incinerator
in
the
country
also
in
Baltimore,
to
close
down
unless
they
meet
the
most
stringent
requirements
which
they're
not
going
to
afford
to
do
so.
They'll
choose
to
close
down,
and
they
recognize
that
this
is
part
of
a
strategy
to
move
towards
the
Airways.
E
To
get
composting
going
to
get
recycling
to
be
serious,
recycling
has
been
pitiful
in
Philadelphia,
Baltimore
or
DC
of
all
the
cities
in
this
region.
It's
not
San
Francisco,
we
could
be
like
San,
Francisco
I
know
it's
different
they're
different
on
that
left
coast.
You
know,
but
they're
doing
about
things
that
we
can
learn
from
and
we're
starting
to
bring
that
line
of
thinking
to
cities
on
the
East
Coast.
So
we
can
adopt
the
strategies
that
they're
doing
that
have
been
successful,
reducing
waste
very
dramatically.
Ok,.
A
A
E
So
right
now
we
have
two
current
contrast:
ones
with
Covanta
the
largest
waste
incinerator
company
in
the
country
they
operate.
Five
of
the
six
trash
incinerators
in
Pennsylvania
and
I'm
have
a
monopoly
on
a
controlled
most
of
the
trash
transfer
stations
in
the
city.
We
need
to
move
away
from
them
if
they're
such
a
bad
actor.
A
E
It's
in
the
test,
my
co,
VA
and
TI.
The
other
company
that
we
have
a
current
contract
with
is
waste
management,
and
this
is
another
thing
to
look
out
for
another
environmental
racism
issue
to
be
mindful
of
as
well
was
this
issue
of
pelletizing
trash
because
they
have
a
facility
in
Northeast
Philadelphia,
not
necessary
environmental
racism
issue
there,
but
they're
pelletizing
our
trash
and
idea
is
to
bring
it
to
cement
kilns,
probably
in
the
Lehigh
Valley
burners
fuel,
which
is
filthy
practice
worse
than
incineration,
normally
because
they
have
even
fewer
pollution
controls.
E
We
need
to
not
allow
contracts
that
involve
burning
directly
or
indirectly,
which
is
that
kind
of
contract
and
the
reason
I
mentioned.
This
is
also
environmental.
Racism
issue
is
that
right
next
to
Bartram,
Gardens
I
learned
recently,
where
we
have
a
lot
of
trash
transfer
stations
already
in
the
city,
which
is
already
in
remote
justice
issue.
There's
another
company
gold-medal
that
apparently
has
plans
to
build
something
similar
to
what
waste
management
has
to
pelletize
trash
and
market
it
as
fuel
to
be
burned.
E
C
F
You
all
for
your
for
your
testimony,
commissioner,
if
I
could
just
ask
you
and
I
appreciate
the
information
you
gave
us
in
in
your
testimony.
I
just
want
to
thank
you
for
your
striding
efforts
on
a
number
health
issues,
smoking,
addiction
and
other
things.
You
have
been
steadfast
on
those
things
led.
Okay,
thank
you
now
I
know
you
said
about
our
air
quality
is
improving
and
you
talked
about
doing
the
study,
which
will
be
a
year-long
study.
D
G
D
Them
to
put
a
place
pollution
controls,
we
have
developing
plans
to
meet
the
ultimate
ozone
standard.
There
is
things
we
could
potentially
do
to
reduce,
reduce
the
burning
of
dirty
fuels
by
buildings
for
heat.
There's
number
two
number
four
number:
six
oil:
the
number
six
and
number
four
oils
put
that
much
more
sulfur
dioxide
than
the
number
two
oil.
So
the
things
we
may
come
back
to
Council
with
at
some
point
in
the
future
about
that
the
vehicles
are
a
major
source
of
air
pollution.
D
Fortunately,
with
the
Volkswagens
settlement
money,
there
is
money
that
is
coming
into
Philadelphia.
That
will
help
a
variety
of
entities,
both
the
city
and
others
that
have
diesel
trucks,
for
example,
to
be
able
to
replace
those
out
with
cleaner
vehicles,
so
they're
all
things
that
are
happening
right
now.
There
may
be
a
role
for
the
City
Council
on
one,
but
there's
nothing
beyond
that.
Okay,.
F
And
one
other
question:
your
statements
about
the
concern
of
the
streets
department
policy
am
I
going
to
have
you
debate
boy,
but
is
there
any
kind
of
meeting
of
intra
between
the
departments?
It's
still
for
the
Commissioner
I'm?
Sorry,
but
based
on
your
testimony,
is
there
anything
it
does
these
various
departments
meet
on
issues
to
where
there
is
some
mingling?
If
you
will
or
co-responsibility,
we.
D
F
D
A
A
You
talked
about
the
knee
and
the
need
to
address
all
these
environmental
issues
in
our
communities,
and
you
know
all
the
great
work
that
PHS
is
doing
to
green
our
communities,
which
is
so
desperately
needed,
but
you
talked
about
basically
the
difference
between
what
your
budget
is
and
really
what
you
need
it
to
be
to
be
much
more
effective
in
these
communities
that
that
are
quite
vulnerable.
So
I
was
wondering
if
you
could
talk
about
that.
What
is
the
amount?
How
far
off?
Are
you
all
in
funding?
F
C
Get
within
the
context
of
vacant
land
management,
for
instance,
that
30,000
vacant
lots
are
still
unmanaged,
we're
only
managing
about
it,
a
third
of
the
city's
inventory.
So
it
gives
you
a
sense
there
of
the
the
with
our
land
care
budget
that
if
we
wanted
to
as
a
city,
actually
have
management
at
100%,
we
would
really
need
to
about
triple
double
to
triple
that
budget.
J
C
C
A
C
A
Have
a
further
conversation,
you
know
at
a
later
date,
we'd
like
to
get
a
breakdown
and
if
you
could
maybe
provide
to
the
committee
a
breakdown
of
what
funding
you're
receiving
from
what
sources
just
so
that
we
can
figure
out
how
you
know
what
the
possibilities
are
in
terms
of
closing
the
gap.
Great.
C
A
Would
be
great
Councilwoman?
Thank
you
good
morning.
I
want
to
follow
up
on
councilman
greenly's
question
and
your
response.
Commissioner
Volkswagen,
because
of
the
Volkswagen
settlement
philadelphi
may
be
a
recipient,
as
is
it
may
or
we
have
to
apply
for
those
dollars.
Is
it
competitive
bid,
or
is
that
actually
going
to
happen.
D
My
my
but
I
believe
one
may
have
come
out
recently
and
entities
can
apply
for
that
and
and
we
hope
that
enemies
in
Philadelphia
put
in
good
applications,
in
which
case
they
will
receive
funding
to
do
that,
and
we
are
trying
to
support
as
much
as
we
can
the
applications.
If
there
are
city
vehicles,
for
example,
that
could
be
swapped
out
to
do
that,
as
well
as
other
entities
that
are
not
under
the
control
the
city,
they
could
apply,
get
funding
and
swap
out
their
vehicles.
So.
K
D
A
A
Then
so
we
should
just
stay
tuned
and
anticipate
that
application:
a
deadline.
Yes,
okay,
another
follow-up
to
councilman
greenies
question:
shell.
Is
it
fair
for
us
to
assume
that
issues
regarding
the
environment
is
not
discussed
at
the
departmental
level?
The
commissioner
level
across
departments
that
there,
when
you
when
you,
when
you
all
meet
that
there
is
actually
a
bullet
that
that
speaks
to
environmental
issues
across
departments?
I?
Would.
D
A
A
The
office
of
the
environment
and
sustainability
at
the
table-
yes,
okay,
all
right.
Lastly,
this
issue
of
environmental
and
racism
and
environmental
injustice
has
intersected
with
both
this
committee
and
the
Committee
on
the
environment
and
sustainability
and
for
the
the
knowledge
of
all
of
those
who
are
present.
You
should
know
that
tomorrow,
it's
my
hope
and
expectation
that
we'll
have
9
votes
to
move
our
bill
to
create
an
environmental
Commission
environmental
and
justice
Commission,
which
will
be
comprised
of
advocates,
stakeholders
and
experts
who
care
about
this
issue
of
environmental
justice.
A
A
K
You
very
much
my
name
is
Jerome
Shabazz
Thank,
You,
Councilwoman
bass
and
fellow
council
members.
It's
with
pleasure
than
a
test
testified
a
day
before
councils
Committee
on
health
and
human
services
regarding
environmental
health
disparities
and
the
impact
of
pollutants
on
our
most
vulnerable
neighborhoods.
K
Again,
my
name
is
Jerome
Shabazz
I'm,
the
executive
director
of
jazz
tech,
dababneh,
Services
Inc
and
the
Overbrook
environmental
education
center
I'm,
also
a
board
member
of
the
state's
environmental
justice
advisory
board
and
the
federal
national
environmental
justice
advisory
council.
Today,
I
want
to
offer
my
support
for
your
resolution.
K
However,
the
the
important
factor
for
me
is
to
notice
that
we
already
have
a
pretty
good
idea
of
where
the
city's
health
disparities
are
and
the
people
that
these
disparities
affect
there.
They
are
clearly
in
our
environmental
justice
communities.
These
are
the
citizens
who
are
disproportionately
burdened
by
environmental
conditions
within
their
community.
When
we
look
at
our
state's
definition
of
environmental
justice,
it's
the
fair
treatment
and
meaningful
involvement
of
all
people,
regardless
of
race,
color,
national
origin
or
income,
with
respect
to
development,
implementation,
enforcement
of
environmental
laws,
regulations
and
policies.
K
As
a
result,
you
know
no
one
should
be
burdened
marginalized
or
unfairly
treated
because
of
where
they
live
or
their
income.
You
know
we
just
listened
to
the
health
commissioner
and
who
put
out
a
wonderful
report
last
year
called
the
2017
health
of
a
city.
This
report
was
successful
in
providing
a
summary
of
health
measures
in
the
city
around
chronic
health
measures,
infectious
infectious
health,
infant
and
child
health
care
and
more-
and
we
know
where
children
with
higher
blood
lead
levels
live
in
a
city.
We
know
where
the
high
asthma
rates
are.
K
We
know
about
diabetes,
hypertension.
We
know
about
the
intersection
between
the
environmental
impacts
and
public
health.
We
know
these
things,
but
we
we
most
important
part
of
this
report
was
the
the
determinants
of
the
social
and
economic
determinants
that
are
associated
with
those
impacted
by
these
derogatory
health
conditions.
K
So
the
heart
of
my
my
testimony
today
is
it's
really
to
go
beyond
just
the
studying
of
what
we
already
know
it's,
but
to
begin
to
work
on
a
creation
of
this
of
this
of
this
environmental
justice
commission
of
17
bill
1701
72,
which
is
phenomenal,
and
we
thank
thank
you.
Efforts
on
this
for
Councilwoman
Brown,
it's
important
that
we
create
the
social
architecture
around
enabling
us
to
address
these
issues
before
they
become
problematic.
We
tend
to
have
this
this
this
history
of
finding
issues
and
then
responding
to
those
issues.
K
But
when
we
talk
about
a
cumulative
impacts,
it's
a
it's
something
that
we
need
to
get
ahead
of
in
our
city
has
really
a
pretty
decent
history
of
responding
to
environmental
threats.
You
know
front
establishment
of
the
Board
of
Health
itself
18:18.
We
you
know
we
created.
You
know,
regulation
on
looking
at.
You
know
how
we
deal
with
ventilation
and
drainage
in
the
1800's.
Even
the
water
department,
when
it
was
developed
in
1801,
was
a
response
to
waterborne
disease.
It
was
trying
to
combat
you
know
things
like
typhoid
and
cholera.
K
H
M
Today,
my
name
is
Terry
Bergen
I'm
with
power,
which
is
Philadelphians
organized
to
witness
apparently
built
I.
Am
our
climate
justice.
Fellow
power
is
a
grassroot
organization,
interfaith
organization
made
up
of
over
65
congregations
across
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
Metro
and
Central
PA,
but
I'm
here
to
talk
about
climate
justice
today,
because
climate
justice
is
an
issue
that
is
already
disproportionately
impacting
low-income
communities
and
communities
of
color,
and
we
know
that
the
only
that
the
way
to
stop
climate
change
is
to
stop
environmental
racism.
M
M
And
we
have
to
take
it
serious
as
a
same
level
of
seriousness
that
we
do
for
gun
violence,
we're
sitting
in
this
room,
and
there
is
a
row
of
young
people
and
I
want
all
of
them
to
be
alive,
to
be
able
to
live
in
the
future
in
this
city
of
opportunity
that
we
all
want
for
them.
And
if
we
continue
on
the
road
we
are
with
the
choices
we
are
making
when
it
comes
to
and
our
mental
justice
in
Philadelphia
they
will
not.
M
M
So
to
say
that
we
can
just
look
at
them
and
not
take
into
account
the
amount
of
resources
that
they
have
towards
being
able
to
counteract
or
even
necessarily
understand
what
is
being
done
to
their
community.
So
right
now,
the
policy
is
when
we're
bring
a
pollutant
into
our
community.
Is
that
we
are
doing
more
to
inform
the
community
and
that
they
have
slightly
more
time
to
put
in
their
comments
on
it,
but
being
able
to
really
inform
a
community
that
is
already
so
disenfranchised.
M
Is
it
going
to
take
resources,
and
it
has
to
be
a
priority,
is
getting
those
resources
and,
and
then,
if
we're
deciding
to
put
these
kind
of
products
projects
into
these
communities,
then
making
sure
that
there
are
resources
to
help
that
community
with
when
we're
talking
about
like
the
nice
town
in
the
gas
plant.
More
than
34
percent
of
that
community
has
asthma,
but
we
know
that
something
like
48
percent
of
them
are
under
and
short.
And
so
what
are
we
going
to
do
when
you're,
adding
an
extra
pollutant?
M
A
N
I'm
Susan
Edwards
and
I'm
delighted
that
you're
taking
up
the
intersection
of
Environment
and
health
with
a
justice
lens
yes,
and
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
speak
today,
I'm
a
volunteer
leader
with
a
Sierra
Club,
a
national
environmental
organization,
with
three
million
members
of
whom
several
thousand
live
in
the
Philadelphia
area.
The
Sierra
Club
has
for
a
number
of
years
now
championed
environmental
justice.
Our
equity
inclusion
and
justice
initiative
focuses
on
ways
that
environmental
pollution
has
had
a
greater
impact
on
communities
of
color
and
of
low
income.
N
Despite
many
efforts
in
those
communities
to
fight
back,
we
place
a
high
priority
on
alliances
with
community
organizations
seeking
to
end
this
environmental
racism.
The
Sierra
Club
locally
has
in
the
past
partnered
with
the
health
liaison
of
black
clergy
of
Philadelphia
and
vicinity
to
give
presentations
at
their
health
fairs
at
dozens
of
churches
about
the
connection
between
air
quality
and
asthma.
N
Everywhere
we
have
gone,
people
have
been
eager
to
know
more
about
the
many
illnesses,
including
asthma,
heart
disease
and
cancers
that
can
be
traced
back
to
pollution
in
neighborhoods.
It
is
the
case
that
twice
as
many
African
American
children
have
asthma
related
emergency
department
visits
and
hospitalizations
compared
with
Caucasian
American
children,
one
of
our
staunch
Vietnam
veteran
volunteers,
who
you
will
be
hearing
from,
became
a
dedicated
environmentalist
after
realizing
that
the
death
of
his
beloved
toddler
granddaughter
may
have
been
contributed
to
by
air
pollution.
N
We
waged
a
campaign
to
stop
the
Brunner
Island
coal-fired
power
plant
located
near
York
from
spewing
pollution
that
the
prevailing
winds
carried
to
the
southeastern
Pennsylvania
area
and
surrounding
states,
many
of
which,
several
of
which
sued
the
EPA
for
failing
to
stop
this
damage
to
their
air
quality.
You
may
know
that
the
American
Lung
Association
gave
Philadelphia
a
grade
of
F
for
our
air
quality
again
in
2018.
N
The
resolution
under
consideration
spells
out
much
of
the
case
for
stopping
the
environmental
injustice
that
affects
the
health
of
Philadelphia
residents,
but
an
additional
factor
is
the
connection
between
pollution
and
climate
change.
Warmer
air
temperatures
ramp
up
the
amount
of
ozone
we
breathe
and
contribute
to
wildfires
and
more
pollen,
both
of
which
add
to
air
pollution.
There
are
also
more
flooding.
Events
contributed
contributing
to
leached
chemicals,
mold
and
other
health
impacts.
It's
an
interconnected
web
that
leads
back
to
the
use
of
fossil
fuels.
N
We
join
those
who
say
that
as
a
society,
we
must
leave
as
much
as
possible
three
of
the
remaining
coal
oil
and
gas
in
the
ground
and
make
a
rapid
transition
to
100%
clean
renewable
energy.
A
shift
to
greater
energy
efficiency
and
clean
energy
is
already
generating
large
numbers
of
new
jobs,
and
it
must
be
done
in
an
inclusive
process
that
protects
working
families
and
simultaneously
combats
poverty
and
current
and
Justices.
N
We're
hopeful
that
the
hearing
which
this
resolution
calls
for
will
shine
a
bright,
a
bright
light
on
the
ways
in
which
thought
Alfia
infrastructure
must
be
reconfigured
to
ensure
greater
health
and
well-being
for
all
residents,
regardless
of
zip
code.
It
has
been
asked
how
we
can
afford
this
transition,
but
we
say
how
can
we
afford
not
to
do
it?
Thank
you.
A
A
But
I
did
want
to
correct
that
thirteen
young
people
were
died
in
a
day
in
Philadelphia
as
a
result
of
gun
violence,
because
that
no
but
will,
but
we
all
you
know
just
just
for
the
record.
We
just
want
to
make
sure
that
we
know
that
any
young
person
who
dies
and
fill
it
up
for
anyone
who
is
dying
from
gun
violence
is
completely
unacceptable,
but
we
do
need
to
I
think
connect
what's
happening.
You
know
whether
it's
gun
violence,
that's
affecting
young
people,
the
asthma,
the
respiratory
disease.
A
A
A
If
you
could
talk
a
little
bit
further
one
of
the
things
that
you
said
that
caught
my
attention
was
about
how
you
sort
of
like
the
conditions
and
our
communities
have
become
almost
like
a
new
normal
that
we've
normalized
some
of
the
things
that
are
happening.
You
know
the
the
fact
that
there's
so
many
pollutants,
whether
it's
in
the
air
or
in
the
neighborhoods
in
terms
of
trash,
our
kids,
walk
past
piles
of
construction
debris.
A
K
You
very
much
councilman.
We
at
the
Overbrook
environmental
education
center
always
attempt
to
answer
three
questions.
We
answer
the
question
of
what
the
issues
are.
We
talk
about
its
impact,
what
it
does
to
your
health,
what
it
does
to
your
community
and
the
sources
of
it,
but
the
second
question
that
we
ask
is
in
answers
is
why
should
you
care?
Because
if
you
talk
about
a
city
that
has
26
25
and
a
half
point
or
26
percent
poverty
rate,
that
means
that
people
have
other
issues.
K
Besides,
looking
at
the
environmental
impacts
on
their
life,
they
have
other
things
that
are
concerning
them,
and
we
know
when
we
talk
about
environmental
justice.
These
are
people
who
are
disproportionately
burdened
with
low
income
with
with
low
low
resource
with
low
efficacy,
and
so
therefore
we
have
to
answer
that
question.
Why
should
you
care?
K
But
most
importantly,
we
want
to
talk
about
the
third
question
that
we
answer,
and
that
is
what
can
you
do
about
it
and
there
are
a
host
of
passive
measures
or
what
we
call
integrative
measures
that
will
allow
for
a
resident
to
keep
themselves
healthy
to
keep
themselves
viable
at
their
own
extent,
at
their
own
resource.
So
within
the
bailiwick
of
their
own
resource
and
I.
Think
it's
important
for
us
to
to
realize
that
we're
in
an
old
infrastructure.
K
We're
in
buildings,
we
were
working
with
a
site
that
was
built
in
1956
that
had
asbestos
built
into
it.
It
was
a
bronze,
it
was
actually
so
dilapidated.
They
had
Brownsville's
conditions
associated
with
it.
It
was
a
very,
very
horrible
site,
but
it
was
integrated
within
its
architecture.
It
was
the
way
that
building
was
made,
but
as
it
began
to
decompose
all
of
those
cook,
all
of
those
elements
became
airborne.
A
lot
of
it
went
into
the
water
went
into
the
soil,
and
the
unwitting
neighbors
were
not
even
aware
of
their
exposure
to
this
harm.
K
So
what
we
have
to
do
is
we
have
to
really
put
resources
in
place
for
the
education
of
how
you
come
in
contact
with
these
horrible,
harmful
environmental
conditions
that
are
around
you
every
day.
We
would
call
them
domestic
because
they
just
live
with
us,
and
we
have
to
learn
how
to
coexist
and
to
learn
how
to
remediate
these
problems
because
we're
going
to
coexist
with
them
much
longer
than
the
remediation
process.
K
So
therefore,
it's
essential
that
would
ever
build
whatever
ordinance
you
put
in
place,
whatever
opportunity
to
create
you
create
this
basis
by
which
you
are
educating
the
public
on
their
exposure
and
their
potential
exposure,
and
that
does
two
things
it
helps
you
currently,
but
it
helps
inform
your
engagement
around
other
institutions
or
other
industries
that
are
coming
into
your
community.
There's
talk
about
people
putting
in
a
cement
manufacturing
plant
in
West
Philadelphia,
who
talks
about
who
knows
about
the
effect
of
air
quality
impacts.
K
Who
knows
about
the
effect
of
of
what
that
will
do
to
your
lungs?
Who
knows
about
the
effect
of
what
that
will
do
to
you
over
a
course
of
time.
These
are
issues
that,
if
you
talk
to
the
public
about
it
in
advance,
you
have
a
better
opportunity
to
have
them
engage
intelligently
with
these
industrial
operators
so
that
we
don't
have
to
go
back
and
protest
after
they
get
established.
We
can
have
intelligent
means
to
remediate
and
correct
the
way
they
design
or
re-engineered
waiting
designing
facility.
So
it
does
minimal
harm
to
the
public.
A
Well,
thank
you.
So
much
I
think
you
know
a
public
awareness
campaign
to
educate
folks
about
what's
happening
in
the
neighborhood
and
and
as
you
just
so
eloquently
put
it
in
terms
of
these
pollutants
that
we
live
with
and
how
to
you
know,
avoid
them
as
much
as
possible.
How
to
you
know,
isolate
them
when
that's
possible
and
I
think
that
that's
a
good
way
to
go.
A
One
of
the
public
awareness
campaigns
around
pollution
that
always
sticks
to
me
and
probably
with
a
lot
of
people
to
this
very
day,
is
a
commercial
that
used
to
come
when
it
was
a
long
time
ago.
You
know
cuz
I,
remember
being
young
when
it
was
online,
but
it
was
of
a
like
a
someone,
a
Native
American
bright
with
a
tear
looking
and
I
think
it
was
like
a
landfill
I.
Don't
remember
exactly
but
I
remember.
A
I
saw
that
I
was
a
child
I'm,
pretty
sure
I
was
a
child,
but
it
was
a
long
time
ago,
and
that
has
always
stuck
with
me.
So
I
think
an
effective
public
awareness
campaign
really
can
make
a
difference.
It
makes
you
think
about
your
environment
and
exactly
what
you
don't
want,
so
so
I
think
that's
something
that
the
City
Philadelphia
again
myself,
working
with
the
councilman's
around
on
the
environmental
committee,
I,
think
that
that's
something
that
we
can
certainly
do.
A
H
A
Take
the
leadership,
and
so
we
will
commit
to
doing
yes
making
that
an
actionable
item.
Yes,
you
have
been
on
the
front
line
for
decades.
In
fact,
you
were
one
of
the
first
persons
I've
met
of
color
in
communities
of
color,
forcing
us
teaching
us
about
all
of
what
you've
just
stated.
What
the
issues
are.
Why
should
we
care
and
then
what
can
we
do
about
it?
You've
mentioned
this
term.
Called
social
architecture,
talk
to
us
more
about
what
you
think
that
looks
like
so.
K
When
we
talk
about
social
architecture
for
resilient
and
sustainable
communities,
we're
talking
about
that
connective
role
that
is
deliberate
in
the
design
of
building
neighborhoods
and
building
infrastructure
within
it.
In
other
words,
when
we
have
a
line
item
that
addresses
environmental
justice,
it
requires
an
action.
It
requires
a
consideration
of
the
most
vulnerable
amongst
you.
K
So,
therefore,
when
we
talk
about
the
social
architecture,
it
is
a
specific
place
within
your
developmental
model
throughout
the
city,
whether
it's
the
departmental
models,
or
it
heard
you
ask
the
the
health
commissioner,
whether
someone
from
a
sustainable
or
sustainability
or
health
at
the
table
at
the
table.
We
want
to
make
sure
that
that's
always
the
case
that
there's
always
a
consideration
but
I.
Consider
I
think
the
best
analogy
that
I
use
for
for
the
social
architecture
is
like
the
ligament.
K
That's
holding
the
muscle
to
the
bone
is
that
that
connective
aspect
of
bringing
people
into
that
intersection
of
environment
and
health,
because
the
truth
of
the
matter
is
that
historically,
we
don't
realize
in
some
cases
that
the
environmental
impacts
are
so
aggrieved.
Until
we
see
the
health
problems
in
the
people
and
usually
as
years
removed,
we
want
to
be
able
to
create
an
architecture
where
that's
not
the
fact.
That's
not
the
case
where
you
begin
to
include
within
the
development
a
space
for
inclusion
of
public
input.
A
O
You,
madam
chair,
apologize
for
the
delay
in
coming
to
this
hearing
this
morning.
I
had
an
appointment
with
my
son,
which
lasted
much
longer
than
I
anticipated,
but
Mr
Ewell.
Thank
you
for
your
testimony.
You
raised
some
points
regarding
the
issue
that
I've
been
very
concerned
about
I've,
been
following
for
the
past
two
years:
contract
that
were
public
services
from
a
recycling,
contract,
Republic
and
waste
management
to
a
site
in
contact
with
city
of
Philadelphia.
O
They
have
been
engaging
with
the
city
for
some
time
well
over
a
year
to
renew
that
contract
and
the
city
failed
to
do
that,
then
let
the
contract
expire
I,
believe
that
was
the
end
of
September
of
this
year.
I'm
also
very
aware
of
the
issue
that,
having
in
China
and
in
reference
to
their
change
and
receiving
we're
psyched
recycled
waste,
a
highly
contaminated,
so
I'm
a
major
concern
in
reference
to
the
fact
that
we're
now
burning,
I
believe
about
45%
of
our
recycling
product.
That's
a
violation
of
state
law
in
your
testimony.
O
I
wasn't
sure
if
you've
had
any
direct
conversation
with
the
streets
department
I
believe
they
have
a
month-to-month
contract
now
with
waste
management
also
Covanta
for
a
period
of
time.
We
didn't
even
know
what
the
city
was
doing
with
the
recycled
material,
that
Republic
was
servicing.
In
addition,
Republic
has
a
location
south
Adelphia
that
about
a
hundred
jobs
there
that
will
possibly
be
lost
so
I'm
curious
in
reference
to
what
type
of
conversation
you've
had
with
a
streets
department.
I
know
the
Republicans.
O
Some
other
entities
respond
to
an
RFP,
perhaps
a
major
issues
in
reference
and
concerns
in
reference
to
the
fact
that
we're
now
going
from
a
leading
city
and
reference
to
recycling
when
you
go
back
to
many
decades
to
at
a
point
now,
where
we're
actually
burning
almost
50%
of
recycled
materials.
Okay,.
E
Thank
you
for
that
question.
It's
a
very
important
one
that
45%
might
be
an
underestimate.
I
remember
when
ABC
first
exposed
the
story,
the
streets
apart
was
saying
it
was
50%,
and
even
that
is
probably
underestimated,
because
when
we
throw
things
in
recycling,
not
all
that
stuff
gets
recycled,
some
of
is
contamination
that
gets
diverted
and
then
some
of
that
could
end
up
being
burned.
I
know
a
Baltimore
is
facing
a
situation
DC
in
their
area,
where
everything
that
goes
to
the
recycling
center
that
doesn't
manage
to
get
recycled
feeds
the
Baltimore
incinerator.
E
So
similar
things
could
be
happening
here,
because
in
this
region
we
have
a
company
named
Mascaro
and
one
of
the
smaller
waste
haulers.
They
built
a
material
recovery
facility
called
Murph's
of
recycling,
sorting
centers
of
the
future.
They
say-
and
this
is
a
euphemism
for
they're
gonna-
pull
out
the
plastics
there
and
market
it
to
be
burned
as
fuel,
probably
in
cement
kilns.
The
lehigh
value,
which
a
lot
of
that
has
been
going
on.
So
even
the
recycling
systems,
are
now
sending
things
that
are
collected
as
if
they're
meant
for
recycling
and
burning
them
intentionally.
E
In
some
cases,
so
we
need
contracts
to
make
sure
that
there
cannot
be
any
burning
the
streets
department
when
they're
quoted
in
the
ABC
piece,
Scott
McGrath
who's,
the
one
working
on
these
contracts.
He
was
quoted
saying
that
he
thinks
it's
better
to
be
burning
them
than
to
even
have
them
go
to
landfills.
Now,
of
course,
both
are
ill
digo
they're
supposed
to
get
recycled,
but
it's
clearly
incorrect
to
argue
that
putting
the
stuff
in
our
air
and
creating
toxic
ash
with
the
rest
is
somehow
better
than
putting
it
straight
in
a
landfill.
E
That's
completely
the
opposite
of,
what's
good
for
Public
Health.
Now,
as
far
as
the
streets
department
and
my
attempts
to
talk
to
them
have
been
very
difficult,
there
is
a
solid
waste
and
recycling
advisory
committee
that
meets
across
the
street
and
I've
been
to
the
last
few
meetings.
They
are
not
an
advisory
committee
anymore.
They
haven't
apparently
been
for
years.
They're
called
that,
but
basically
you
go
there
and
it's
very
classroom
style,
one-directional
updates
from
scott
mcgrath
and
others
who
don't
take
tough
questions.
Who
don't
answer
my
phone
washy?
Sometimes
the
answers.
E
The
phone
tells
me
he'll
get
back
to
me,
never
does,
but
they
don't
follow
through
or
do
anything
to
answer
questions
and
when
they've
been
challenged
by
committee
members
and
other
members
public
like
myself
about
why
don't
they
actually
be
interactive
and
used
the
advisory
committee
to
get
advice,
and
we
asked
them
specifically
the
waste
contrast
coming
up
very
soon.
They
should
be
out
any
day
now
for
the
RFPs.
For
those
we
want
to
give
input
on
them
before
they
release
them.
Oh
no.
We
can't
do
that.
E
Oh
no,
there's
no
interest
in
doing
that
and
two
months
later,
at
the
most
recent
committee
meeting
after
they
were
specifically
asked
to
do
that
and
at
two
months
to
do
so.
So
what's
the
status
of
public
involvement
of
this
committee,
giving
advice
on
those
and
drie?
Oh
there's
no
time
for
that!
Well,
what
do
you
do
for
there's
too
much
Scott
McGrath?
Well,
there's
no
time
for
that.
So
they've
been
evasive.
E
This
I've
had
a
right
to
know
battle
with
the
city
recently
and
they've
taken
a
more
than
a
month
longer
than
they
were
legally
allowed
to
have
to
find.
Even
the
current
contracts
for
me,
which
should
be
up
on
the
website
and
they're
still
digging
through
files
trying
to
find
them
and
for
the
first
month
pretended
they
don't
even
exist,
which
is
impossible.
I
gave
them
the
reference
numbers
and
everything
and
they
still
were
acting
like
they
don't
exist
and
now
all
of
a
sudden
they
exist.
E
Well,
they
either
can't
give
them
tea
or
if
it
did
through
IT
to
get
them,
and
this
is
just
current
contracts,
no
less
understanding
and
weighing
in
on
the
ones
coming
up.
Next,
so
there's
been
a
huge
transparency
problem,
a
huge
accountability
problem.
Bureaucrats
like
Scott
McGrath
just
need
to
go,
they
don't
understand
modern
wave
systems
and
I
think
starting
with
changing
the
culture
of
the
streets
department
is
gonna,
get
to
the
problems
you're
trying
to
get
to
so
I
agree.
O
B
P
Name
is
Matt
Walker
I'm,
the
advocacy
director
with
cleaner
council
we're
a
non-profit
environmental
advocacy
organization,
headquartered
in
Philadelphia.
The
council's
been
working
to
protect
everyone's
right
to
breathe,
clean,
clean
air
for
over
50
years
now,
cleaner
council
has
37
activist
members,
including
many
in
the
Philly
area,
and
I
also
serve
on
the
steering
committee
of
Green
Justice
Philly.
As
the
resolution
states,
there
is
a
direct
connection
between
polluted
air,
water
and
soil
and
public
health
studies
have
established
that
low-income
communities
and
communities
of
color
are
disproportionately
affected
by
contaminants
in
our
environment.
P
According
to
a
2018
EPA
study
and
a
2017
n-double-a-cp
study,
residents
of
low-income
and
neighborhoods
of
color
are
disproportionately
impacted
by
air
water
and
soil
pollution
and
suffer
a
higher
amount
of
ill
health
effects.
This
is
partially
due
to
the
fact
that
such
communities
host
heavier
polluting
operations
are
sited
near
transportation
hubs
and
have
more
undesirable.
Businesses
such
as
auto
body,
shops
and
scrap
yards
air
pollution
in
low-income
and
neighborhoods
of
color
is
impacted
by
many
sources.
Some
of
the
notable
ones
are
bigger.
P
Industrial
facilities,
as
well
as
sites
like
scrap
yards
and
auto
body
shops,
tend
to
be
located
in
under-resourced,
neighborhoods
and
communities
of
color.
According
to
the
n-double
a-c-p,
approximately
thirteen
point:
four
percent
of
african-american
children
nationwide
have
asthma
over
1.3
million
children
compared
to
seven
point
three
percent
for
white
children
and
the
death
rate
for
african-american
children
with
as
asthma's
one
per
1
million.
While
for
white
white
children,
it
is
one
per
10
million.
P
Then
wcp
report
also
states
that
the
PS
refineries
responsible
for
72%
of
the
toxic
air
emissions
in
Philadelphia,
which
contribute
largely
to
a
city-wide
childhood
asthma
rate.
That
is
more
than
two
times
the
national
average
cleaner
council
has
been
active
in
working
to
identify
and
reduce
environmental
burdens
in
the
city's
low-income
neighborhoods.
P
In
the
last
few
years,
the
council
has
worked
with
residents
in
southwest
Philadelphia
at
the
river
wards
and
Germantown.
The
council
has
educated
residents
on
local
sources
of
fine
particulate
matter
and
its
impacts
on
the
health
of
community
residents.
How
residents
of
these
communities
can
better
participate
in
the
decisions
by
government
industry
that
impact
their
health
and
welfare?
How
community
members
can
monitor
and
report
high
pollution
levels
in
their
neighborhood
by
using
cleaner
Council
developed
air
monitors?
P
P
The
council
has
worked
to
promote
smoke-free
housing,
including
public
public
housing.
The
council
has
worked
to
hold
p/es
accountable
for
the
immense
amount
of
air
pollution
it
emits
in
the
city.
The
council
routinely
works
in
neighborhoods
to
conduct
toxic
tours
for
residents
to
help
them
better
understand
sources
of
air
pollution
in
their
neighborhoods,
such
as
the
numerous
area
sources
in
the
river
words
like
scrap
yards
and
on
to
body
shops
and
large
sources
regarding
the
pds
refinery.
P
Sunoco
is
liable
for
remediating
the
historic
levels
of
a
contamination
at
the
refinery
and
has
denied
local
residents
and
others
the
opportunity
to
provide
input
on
the
remediation
plans.
The
Department
of
Environmental
Protection
has
approved
Sunoco
z'n
alysus,
and
we
clean
up
standards
for
eight
of
the
eleven
sections
of
the
refinery
property.
P
Given
the
proximity
of
the
refinery
to
environmental
justice,
neighborhoods
and
the
major
impact
to
soil
and
drinking
water
sources,
the
lack
of
public
input
so
far
is
unacceptable.
Sps
is
likely
to
go
bankrupt
again
by
2022
when
its
debts
mature.
It
is
imperative
that
the
city
fill
the
out
Philadelphia,
engage
area
residents
and
other
stakeholders
in
a
process
to
ensure
proper
remediation
and
fully
explore
alternative
redevelopment
scenarios
for
the
refinery
sites
so
that
the
future
uses
can
in
remediation
planning
for
the
parcels
and
be
used
to
determine
if
Sunoco
is
proposed.
P
Plans
are
at
adequate
over
the
years
of
working
on
environmental
justice
in
these
neighborhoods.
The
council
has
noticed
that
the
only
response
to
attempt
to
improve
policies
and
permitting
decisions,
environmental
justice
neighborhoods,
is
to
add
extra
layers
of
public
participation
and
input,
while
engagement
in
the
process
is
clearly
a
key
starting
point
that
in
itself
will
not
adequately
address
environmental
injustice.
'as
climate
change
is
having
outsized
impacts
on
under-resourced,
neighborhoods
through
additional
flooding,
mold
heat
island
effect
and
energy
consumption,
to
name
a
few.
P
According
to
the
4th
National
Climate
Assessment
climate
change
is
predicted
to
significantly
increase
ozone
levels
across
the
country.
The
report
states
that
populations,
including
older
quote,
older
adults,
children,
low-income
communities
and
some
communities
of
color
are
often
disproportionately
affected
by
and
less
resilient
to,
the
health
impacts
of
climate
change,
adaptation
and
mitigation
policies
and
programs
that
help
individuals,
communities
and
states
prepare
for
the
risks
of
a
changing
climate,
reduce
the
number
of
injuries,
illnesses
and
deaths
from
climate
related
health
outcomes.
P
Unquote,
Philadelphia
City
Council
must
do
more
to
relieve
overburden
communities
from
exposure
to
environmental
pollutants
and
risks,
many
of
which
are
exacerbated
by
climate
change.
City
Council
should
consider
the
following
policy
ideas
to
address
issues
that
disproportionately
impact
low-income
and
minority
neighborhoods
hire
more
inspectors
for
air
management
services
that
would
focus
specifically
on
overburdened
communities,
pass
an
ordinance
that
would
prohibit
new
or
modified
major
or
synthetic
minor
sources
of
air
pollution
in
Philadelphia.
That
would
increase
incremental
can
service
by
more
than
1
in
1
million
for
surrounding
communities.
P
Allow
public
input
into
remediation
plans
for
the
Philadelphia
energy
solution.
Refinery
site
hold
hearings
with
the
head
of
the
police
department
and
Health
Department
on
obstacles
to
enforcing
anti-idling
laws,
especially
in
low-income
neighborhoods,
hold
hearings
with
agency
heads
and
ask
them
why
they
have
no
policy
on
or
training
on
anti-idling.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
A
H
Thank
you
very
much,
members
of
the
committee.
My
name
is
dr..
Wolcott
sue
I
serve
as
the
executive
director
of
Philadelphia
physicians
for
Social
Responsibility
I
speak
today,
and
about
the
gas
plant
in
nice.
Town
I
want
to
address
at
this
public
health
issue
in
our
community
and
its
impact
on
fossil
fuel
burning,
and
it's
a
impact
on
climate
change.
H
As
you
might
expect,
I
I
oppose
that
the
operation
of
this
gas
planet
by
septa,
which
I
believe
should
never
have
been
permitted
by
air
management
services,
which
is
a
division
I,
should
say
of
our
public
health
department.
The
fact
that
a
permit
was
branded
is
currently-
and
that
is
it
is
currently
under
appeal
by
residents
in
nice
town
term
10,
which
will
here
shortly,
shows
that
there
are
flaws
in
our
whole
permitting
process.
It
says
that
we
need
to
update
the
error
code
in
Philadelphia
and
it's
currently
woefully
overdue.
H
The
error
error
of
climate
change.
We
need
to
require
renewable
energy
as
a
such
as
wind,
solar,
hydroelectric
and
title
as
the
first
choice
for
energy
production,
and
we
should
not
allow
a
permit.
It
can
prove
that
renewable-energy
happy
I
used
to
satisfy
the
energy
needs
of
the
proposed
power
plant.
H
Furthermore,
we
need
to
know
the
health
statistics
of
known
cardiovascular
and
respiratory
illnesses
such
as
heart
attacks,
asthma,
emphysema,
lung
cancer
before
issuing
a
permit
that
would
spew
particulate
matter
VOCs
and
carbon
monoxide
and
nitrogen
oxides
on
neighborhoods
that
already
have
20%
or
more
higher
rates
than
the
rest
of
the
city.
The
health
department
collects
this
data
through
its
vital
records
and
community
health
surveillance
surveys,
and
yet
inexplicably,
it
does
not
use
any
of
this
data
in
its
current
permitting
process.
H
Why
collect
the
data
if
it
is
not
going
to
be
used
in
a
proactive
fashion?
That's
it
that
such
a
permitting
process
been
used
in
the
case
of
the
septic
gas
plant
process.
I
believe
we
would
have
not
allowed
it
to
have
been
built.
We
would
have
been
asking
many
questions
about
why
renewable
energy
was
not
the
first
choice
rather
than
building
this
power
plant
and
they
never
believed
we
would
be
faced
with
a
difficult
truth
of
burning
natural
gases
contributing
to
our
global
warming
dilemma,
and
we
cannot
escape
that.
H
We
should
not
have
allowed
a
gas
plant
in
nice
town
or
a
largely
african-american
community,
with
the
second
highest
childhood
or
hospitalization
rates
for
asthma,
a
data
map
which
is
sitting
over
there,
which
is
collected
from
the
from
the
health
department's
own
health
of
the
city
of
Philadelphia.
It
also
has
adult
asthma
rates.
The
shows
progressive
increases
in
zip
code,
one
nine
one,
four
Oh,
which
is
nice
town
in
night
in
2000.
H
It
was
nine
point:
three
percent
asthma
in
2010,
twenty
one
point,
six
percent,
and
just
five
years
after
that,
it's
in
2015
its
twenty
five
percent.
In
short,
we
are
permitting
a
gas
plant
by
Sabaa
by
simply
adding
more
fruit,
we're
we
are
permitting
a
gas
plant
by
simply
adding
more
pollution
in
an
impoverished
neighborhood
with
worsening
asthma
rates.
It's
the
opposite
of
what
we
should
be
doing
in
a
city
that
cares
for
its
citizens
and
believes
in
public
health.
H
H
How
do
we
plan
for
the
inevitable
obsolescence
of
the
use
of
gas
in
a
planet
that
hopes
to
avoid
the
worst
of
what
is
predicted
by
global
warming,
but
for
now
we
can
begin
with
one
that
should
be
obvious
to
all
of
us,
a
gas
plan
that
was
made
by
the
wrong
decision
in
the
nah
way
by
the
face
of
global
warming,
but
for
a
neighborhood
called
nice
town.
Thank
you.
Q
A
Q
The
Public
Interest
Law
Center
is
a
nonprofit
law
firm
that
advances
the
social,
civil
and
economic
rights
of
people
in
Philadelphia
who
face
barriers
of
discrimination
and
poverty.
The
testimony
that
I'm
gonna
give
today
was
actually
written
by
my
colleague,
evany
Griffin,
who
unfortunately
couldn't
be
here
today.
So
I'm
gonna
read
her
testimony.
Q
My
name
is
ebony
Griffin
and
I
am
a
staff
attorney
at
the
Public
Interest
Law
Center,
focusing
on
environmental
justice
and
the
director
of
the
Law
Center's
Garden
justice
legal
initiative.
Thank
you
for
allowing
me
the
opportunity
to
speak
before
you
today
about
an
issue
I
feel
passionately
about.
I
want
to
commend
you
for
taking
steps
to
tackle
this
issue
head-on,
especially
at
a
time
so
critical
to
the
future
of
our
planet.
Q
In
my
practice,
I
see
the
residual
effects
of
environmental
injustice,
childhood
asthma,
increased
cancer
rates,
high
instances
of
mental
illness
and
decreased
learning
capacity.
Pennsylvania
ranks
number
2
in
the
nation
among
the
states,
with
the
largest
difference
in
exposure
to
air
pollution,
between
the
races
and
between
the
wealthy
and
the
poor.
Q
The
nice
town
neighborhood
is
an
example
of
what
we
are
talking
about.
It
is
a
neighborhood
that
suffers
from
health
disparities,
often
caused
by
environmental
pollution.
Nice
town
already
experiences
diva's
all
diesel
exhaust
from
many
buses
at
the
Midvale
bus
depot
in
a
to
exhaust
from
a
nearby
highway.
Q
It
has
been
designated
as
an
environmental
justice
area,
which
means
a
location
with
either
30%
of
its
inhabitants
from
a
minority
group
or
20%
below
the
poverty
level
in
nice
town.
Of
course,
over
60%
is
black
and
40%
live
below
the
poverty
line,
but,
as
we
all
know,
in
November
2017,
the
Philadelphia
Department
of
air
management
services
approved
permit
for
septa
to
install
a
combined
heat
and
power
plant
in
that
neighborhood.
Q
What's
the
problem,
the
problem
really
is
the
permitting
system
in
Philadelphia
and
in
Pennsylvania
that
permitting
system
only
analyzes
what's
coming
out
of
the
new
source,
it
does
not
look
at
a
holistic
view
of
what's
happening
when
you
add
a
new
source
in
this
situation,
nice
town
residents
did
everything
they
were
supposed
to
do.
They
attended
public
meetings
to
ensure
their
voices
were
heard.
They
presented
facts
about
the
community
health.
They
expressed
concerns
about
the
vulnerability
they
received,
support
from
their
council
person,
who
also
publicly
opposed
the
plan
but
AMS
granted
that
permit.
Q
But
the
problem
is
when
you're
from
the
point
of
view
of
the
people
in
nice
town
who
are
inundated
with
pollution
sources,
one
additional
minor
source
could
potentially
exacerbate
the
whole
situation,
and
another
problem
is
that
many
applicants
limit
the
amount
of
emissions
so
that
they
are
a
minor
source
which
makes
it
much
easier
for
them
to
obtain
a
permit.
So
what
are
the
solutions?
Q
Legal
scholars
have
looked
at
how
we
solve
this
problem,
and
the
common
theme
is
to
make
a
difference
in
the
lives
of
vulnerable
communities.
We
have
to
change
the
way
we
analyze
and
approve
permits
with
potential
environmental
impacts.
There
are
three
different
ways
that
this
could
be
accomplished
and
we
propose
that
city
council
take
up
one
or
all
of
them.
First,
there
is
the
cumulative
impact
analysis
that
would
require
an
agency
to
take
what's
being
proposed
in
the
new
permit
and
add
it
to
all
of
the
existing
permits
and
look
at
the
impact
there.
Q
It
would
assign
a
numerical
value
to
communities
based
on
criteria
such
as
maternal
health,
asthma
rates,
hospitalization
rates,
and
then
the
community
would
receive
a
grade
based
on
the
total
sum
of
the
vulnerability
criteria
based
on
this
number.
If
a
community
is
considered
vulnerable,
the
city
would
simply
say
no
more
facilities.
It
would
just
place
a
moratorium
on
new
facilities,
so
in
in
conclusion,
communities
of
color
and
low-income
communities
in
this
city
are
most
are
those
most
often
left
dealing
with
the
effects
of
environmental
pollution.
Q
R
R
Our
founding
mission
at
NAEP
has
been
to
be
a
local
voice
which
expresses
a
resounding
no
to
SEPTA's
gas
power
plant
in
nice
town.
Our
driving
concern
is
public
health,
not
because
the
power
plant
is
huge,
but
because
the
neighborhood
is
already
oversaturated
with
toxic
air
and
disease.
There
must
be
a
cap.
The
neighborhood
needs
relief,
not
an
additional
burden.
It's
no
secret
I'm,
not
gonna
repeat
this.
We've
talked
about
environmental
racism,
so
I'll
spare
you,
but
we
would
like
to
thank
Councilwoman
bass
for
writing
for
speaking
out
against
this
project.
R
We
also
want
to
thank
a
Councilwoman,
Jim
and
Reynolds
Brown
for
their
writing,
and
we
want
to
also
thank
Councilwoman
Reynolds
Brown
for
appearing
at
the
November
Appeals
hearing
and
for
the
Environment
Committee
hearing
two
weeks
ago.
Our
new,
our
nation's
Lex,
environmental
laws,
have
led
to
widespread
asthma,
but
none
of
us
all
of
us
bear
that
burden.
Equally.
I
grew
up
in
a
green
area
of
Baltimore
City
and
I
did
not
even
know
what
asthma
was.
R
This
is
the
haves
and
have-nots
environmentally
nice
town
has
extremely
high
diesel
particulate
pollution
levels
from
combustion
engine
exhaust,
but
that
mixes
in,
in
addition
to
the
city's
background
air
flowing
up
from
the
south,
which
has
been
tainted
by
the
refinery
Veolia
plant
and
Grays
Ferry
and
our
trash
that's
been
talked
about
today.
Burning
in
Chester,
a
nice
town
lit,
sits
in
a
topographical
Bowl
so
that
summer
inversions
are
especially
intense.
R
Air
pollution
causes
a
wide
range
of
physical
and
print
brain
diseases.
The
Philadelphia
Health
Department
statistics
say
that
nice
town
has
the
second
highest
childhood
asthma,
hospitalization
rate
for
asthma
and
highest
rates
for
cancer
and
mental
illness.
So
I
want
to
clarify
exactly
what
septa
has
built
on
their
property
in
nice
town,
why
they
did
it
and
what
action
we
wish
for
council
to
take
here
is
the
why
septa
came
under
pressure
to
by
natural
gas.
R
We
know
that
pressure
was
applied
in
Harrisburg
in
2012
and
at
City
Council,
citing
benefits
to
PGW
in
2016
at
a
septa
budget
hearing.
It's
likely
that
pressure
also
came
from
individuals
within
the
septa
board
itself.
Septa's
first
plan
to
buy
natural
gas
was
to
convert
its
bus
fleet
from
diesel
fuel
to
the
compressed
natural
gas
buses,
but
in
2012
septa
realized
the
expense
of
building
the
infrastructure
and
canceled
the
plan.
They
create
an
alternative
plan
to
buy
natural
gas,
which
is
to
build
six
power
plants.
R
Six
within
the
city
limits
and
one
in
Upper
Darby.
The
first
would
be
a
nice
town
near
Lane
Junction.
These
gas
power
plants
would
produce
electricity,
on-site
for
regional
trains
and
replace
power
provided
by
Pico.
Some
people
ask
whether
septa
has
reasons
to
replace
Pico
power.
Is
there
a
problem
with
supply?
According
to
septa
septa
strains
experience
a
Pico
power
outage
on
average
once
every
other
year,
septa
justified
the
project
with
a
resiliency
argument,
meaning
septa
needs
a
backup
system
in
case
of
a
future
weather
disaster
caused
by
climate
change.
R
But
in
such
an
emergency,
a
battery
backup
with
suffice,
many
people
say
what's
the
alternative
to
the
nice
town
power
plan.
Well,
since
the
project
is
not
needed,
the
real
question
is:
does
SEP
to
have
a
choice
about
being
a
natural
guest
customer.
Meanwhile,
what
exactly
has
septa
built?
It's
called
a
combined
heat
and
power
plant
or
CHP
CHP
is
burn
methane
and
produce
electricity.
R
The
toxic
output
is
exact,
basically
the
same
as
a
regular
methane
power
plant,
but
the
CHP
has
an
added
feature:
it
produces
electricity
and
is
capable
of
capturing
up
to
85%
of
what
is
called
waste
heat
and
can
direct
it
off
location
to
heat
buildings,
for
example,
the
large
Veolia
plant
in
Gray's
Ferry
makes
electricity
and
also
heats
steam,
which
is
sent
to
warm
buildings
in
Center
City.
That
dual
purpose
is
why,
twenty
years
ago,
before
the
modernization
of
solar
wind
entitled
hot
technologies,
the
EPA
gave
the
CHP
technology
its
stamp
of
approval.
R
Septa
has
promoted
at
the
CHP,
as
approved
by
the
EPA.
Their
nice
town
CHP,
however,
will
not
capture
85%
of
the
waste
heat
only
5%
for
their
bus
depot,
but
no
worries
the
EPA
CHP
partnership
program
in
Washington
DC,
explained
to
be
on
a
conference
call
that
it
does
not
approve
or
monitor
any
specific
CHP
project.
Some
people
have
been
led
to
believe
that
septa
is
just
replacing
their
current
heating
boilers
for
their
bus
depot
as
an
equal
swap.
R
The
numbers
for
emissions
are
that
less
than
five
toxic
tons
of
year,
tons
of
five
toxic
tons
a
year
will
be
replaced
with
over
80
toxic
tons
a
year.
Septa
AMS
and
mayor
Kenny
have
defended
the
project
as
reducing
greenhouse
gases.
That
claim
is
completely
based
on
a
twenty-year-old
calculator
provided
by
the
EPA
CHP
Partnership
Program.
The
calculator
compares
using
the
Pennsylvania
grid
to
using
a
CHP
on
site.
We
join
environmentalist
to
consider
this
calculator
to
be
flawed.
R
It
uses
old
data,
does
not
consider
future
trends
and
does
not
consider
greenhouse
gases
released
as
part
of
the
process
of
obtaining
fuels
from
the
ground
and
transporting
them
to
their
destinations.
Septa
claims
that
emissions
from
the
CHP
will
be
undetectable.
It's
true
that
carbon
monoxide
is
odorless.
It
looks
to
me
that
the
emissions
will
not
even
go
above
our
head.
R
R
Transportation
is
required
for
survival
in
our
current
economy.
Septa
is
needed,
but
our
need
for
transportation
should
not
authorize
them
to
create
unnecessary
projects
that
damage
public
health
between
this
committee
and
the
Environment
Committee.
Two
public
hearings
have
exposed
nine
council
members
to
the
lens
of
environmental
justice
before
Christmas
neighbors
against
the
gas
plants
is
hoping
that
most
members
of
the
committee's
will
decide
to
bring
the
septa
powerplant
issue
as
part
of
environmental
issues,
justice
to
the
full
council
for
the
sake
of
the
children
in
191
4.
R
Oh,
please
pass
a
resolution
that
SEPTA's
powerplant
should
not
be
used.
A
council
resolution
in
January
would
open
debate
between
legislators
and
administration.
A
creative
alternative
solution
that
speeds
air
quality
relief
to
nice
town
could
be
found.
We
have
the
nation's
worst
child
mortality
rate,
let's
figure
out
how
to
make
some
changes
going
forward
in
2019.
The
mayor's
office
of
sustainability
will
need
to
follow
the
new
City
Council
Commission
on
environment,
burning,
natural
gas
or
any
type
of
oil
to
four
or
sixth
grade
is
part
of
the
problem.
Not
the
solution.
R
F
J
Hello,
my
name
is
Tammy
Murphy
I'm,
the
medical
advocacy
director
of
physicians
for
Social
Responsibility
in
Philadelphia.
Thank
you
very
much
for
inviting
me
a
lot
of
what
I
was
going
to
talk
about,
has
already
been
covered,
and
you
have
my
written
testimony,
which
is
quite
a
bit
longer
than
three
minutes
I.
Think
so.
I
just
wanted
to
point
out
a
few
things.
We
have
a
map.
R
J
J
J
Ok,
so
these
existing
power
plants
are
all
along
this
corridor
here
and
then
you
have
more
going
this
way
and
basically
building
another
power
plant
in
this
area
completes
what
I
consider
a
sacrifice
zone.
This
is
an
area
that
is
already
filled
with
toxicity.
A
third
of
the
children
have
asthma
and
planting
another.
One
right
here
is
just
completing
that
sacrifice
zone,
so
the
entire
area
is
filled
with
toxicity,
and
this
is
set
to
be
for
the
more
than
the
next
two
decades.
J
Okay,
since
we're
talking
about
environmental
justice,
I
want
to
point
out
a
few
things
here.
This
area,
that's
in
the
red,
is
mostly
black
community
there
in
the
blues,
mostly
Latino
community
in
the
area
here
to
is
on
the
magenta,
is
mostly
a
white
community.
Deceptive
power
plant
is
being
put
smack
dab
into
the
black
community,
which
we
also
know
also
has
basically
close
to
the
highest
rates
of
asthma
in
the
city.
S
J
Okay,
so
the
Philadelphia
Inquirer
did
a
great
article
recently
about
incomes,
the
reduction
in
income
in
certain
neighborhoods
and
the
nice
times.
I
Yoga
area
is
the
second
to
the
lowest
is
in
income
it's
to
reduce
drastically
since
2006.
They
think
it's
about
36%,
so
the
map
there
shows
that
and
that
that's
proposed
power
plan
is
going
directly
into
that
area.
J
So
then,
this
area,
if
you
can
see
on
that
map,
the
darkest
red
is
the
poorest
community,
and
that
is
exactly
where
they're
planning
to
put
this
power
plant-
okay,
not
to
the
left
of
it,
which
was,
if
you
pair
it
with
the
other
map.
It's
blue
on
here,
that's
also
the
community
on
the
other
one
that
was
magenta
and
white.
They
didn't
put
it
in
that
area.
They
put
it
in
to
the
poorest
area,
with
the
highest
population
of
black
people
in
the
area
right
in
the
middle
of
that
sacrifice,
zone.
J
J
Thought
it
was
very
interesting
that
dr.
Farley
gave
such
an
accurate
description
of
air
pollution
and
how
it
damages
people's
lungs
and
then
went
on
to
talk
about
the
permitting
process
as
if
it
was
fine.
It's
not
fine.
It's
actually
measuring
something
in
Lycoming
and
then
putting
it
somewhere
else
that
where,
if
you
took
the
same
measurements,
you
wouldn't
get
the
same
thing.
J
J
A
Excuse
me,
I'm,
sorry,
I'm
sorry
hold
you
come
but
hold
your
comment
for
my
second.
We
we
have
the
documents
here.
We
have
copies
of
the
documents
they
could
have
been
looking
at
at
the
documents.
No
problem,
that's
okay,
but
they
have
the
documents
right
in
front
of
them.
So
we
can't
see
them
group
well,
I
can't
see
them
anyway
from
over
here.
So
it's
important
to
be
able
to
have
the
actual
document
in
front
of
yourselves.
No,
not
a
problem.
J
So
we
have
nitrogen
nitrogen
oxides,
the
cause,
this
illnesses,
particulate
matter
of
volatile
organic
compounds
and
ultrafine
particulates.
I
also
thought
it
was
very
interesting
that
dr.
Farley
talked
about
how
proud
he
was
that
the
airport
meets
these
standards
that
are
above
the
national
APA
standards
for
the
airport.
But
then,
when
it
comes
to
nice
town,
there's
no
there's
no
national
standards
that
they're
willing
to
exceed,
and
we
have
repeatedly
and
MS
here
he
was
repeatedly
talked
about
ultrafine
particulate
matters.
J
He's
educated
me
in
the
topic:
it's
not
going
to
be
measured
as
a
standard
by
the
EPA,
and
this
current
administration
is
not
going
to
change
that
and
in
any
time
soon,
but
it's
clear
that
the
research
is
coming
out
that
ultrafine
particulate
matters
are
very
dangerous,
especially
for
children
with
their
developing
lungs.
So
it's
something
that
we
should
get
ahead
of
the
federal
standards.
So
if
dr.
Farley
is
so
proud
of
it
for
the
airport,
why
can't
he
be
doing
the
same
thing
for
the
nice
town
community?
J
J
On
the
back,
you
can
see
that
there's.
This
is
a
separate
area.
This
is
in
Susquehanna
County
in
Pennsylvania,
but
this
is
a
compressor
station.
It's
basically
showing
that
you
can't
see
the
gas
until
you
use
something:
that's
called
a
flare
camera
and
then,
when
you,
when
you
use
this
lens
of
the
camera,
then
you
can
actually
see
the
toxicity.
So
the
two
images
there
are
really
dramatically
different,
but
what
you
can't
see
is
killing.
You
I
also
wanted
to
point
out
if
we
don't
move
away
from
this
fossil
fuel
extraction
industry.
J
That
is
exactly
what
Lynn
talked
about.
They
are
putting
pressure
on
our
city
to
capitulate.
To
you
know,
policy
makers
in
other
parts
of
our
state
that
want
to
be
in
the
good
graces
of
the
fossil
fuel
extraction
industry,
but
in
the
mean
time,
it's
going
to
cause
our
city
and
to
and
other
areas
in
this
state
to
feel
more
like
San
Antonio
Texas
in
ten
years
than
Philadelphia
and
I.
Don't
think
I
want
my
children
growing
up
and
Santa
in
a
Texas
environment
in
the
summer,
because
it's
dangerous.
J
A
A
F
M
F
M
A
Thank
you.
Thank
you
for
being
here
and
I.
Think
it's
important
to
you
know
as
much
as
we
can't
include
the
voices
of
our
young
people,
because
this
is
really
you
know
not
as
much
about
a
lot
of
us
but
really
about
them
and
their
future.
So
they're
gonna,
be
here
much
longer
than
the
rest
of
us
will
be
hey.
So
we're
so
glad
that
you're
here
that
you're
up
on
this
issue
that
you're
paying
attention
and
that
you
came
out
this
morning
so
counselor.
Q
A
T
T
T
That
you
testified
in
front
of
City
Council
Committee
of
Public,
Health
I.
Think
the
world
ought
to
know
about
it.
So
keep
that
in
mind,
and
if
you
need
some
documentation
that
you
actually
did
it.
We
have
the
record
here,
but
it
would
be
happy
to
write
a
note,
I'm
sure,
as
well
as
the
chair
and
anyone
else
that
was
present
of
your
accomplishments
and
the
fact
that
you
spoke
I
can't
thank
you
enough.
Keep
up
the
good
work.
Thank.
A
You
thank
you.
Thank
You,
councilman
and
I
also
want
to
point
out.
If
you
go
to
phl
council
comm,
you
can
actually
you'll
be
able
to
see
your
segments
of
the
testimony
you
could
scroll
through
and
see
yourselves
online.
So
you
may
want
to
check
that
out
and
add
it
to
your
Facebook
page
or
something
so
so
count
I'm,
sorry,
councilman.
O
Green
just
to
follow
up
on
that
point,
I'm,
assuming
that
you
were
excused
from
a
school
today
in
order
to
be
here
so
hopefully
you
will
get
extra
credit
for
your
test,
which
was
which
was
probably
on
your
participation,
so
you
should
get
some
extra
credit
for
providing
testimony
and
let
your
other
colleagues
in
school
know
what
they
missed
out
on
by
not
being
here.
Thank
you,
Thank.
A
You
councilman
I
did
want
to
back
to
the
the
first
part
of
the
panel.
One
of
the
things
that
I
just
wanted
to
point
out
is
that
I
really
really
appreciate
that
you
all
came
with
some
very
specific
suggestions
in
terms
of
what
it
is
that
you
think
would
like
for
us
to
do
would
like
for
us
to
take
a
look
at
I
always
tell
people,
government
does
not
have
all
the
answers,
and
so
we
really
need
to
hear
from
our
citizens
in
terms
of
what
you
know
things
that
we
should
be
looking
at.
A
A
A
Councilwoman
bathroom
marks,
we
had
a
comprehensive,
informative
and
very
instructive
hearing
led
by
my
community
and
committee
and
its
members
a
couple
of
weeks
ago,
and
my
staff
and
I
are
now
actually
taking
that
list
of
recommendations,
because
there
were
many
that
now
collectively
we
can
not
talk
about
the
act
on
a
next
year,
so
to
underscore
Councilwoman
basses.
A
second
point
is
I
would
change
I
too
we
we,
we
never
assume
that
we
know
it
all
and
sad,
faux
pas.
Shame
on
you!
A
If
you
operate
in
that
space,
we
learn
and
do
better
when
those
of
you
who
care
enough
to
show
up
but
be
all
for
tangible
actionable
items
that
we
can
then
look
to
list
prioritize
where
we
want
to
to
act
on
because
we're
sure
we
can't
can't
do
it
all
when
we
have
gazillion
issues
facing
us.
But
when
you
bring
us
what
matters
to
you,
we
can
certainly
prioritize
and
then
stake
out
where
we
want
to
make
those
actionable
items
real
for
2019,
so
I
would
say
to
you
to
be
encouraged.
A
We
have
heard
you
we
do
listen.
We
write
it
down
because
it
is
not
written,
it
doesn't
exist,
we
reread
testimony
and
then,
as
I
said,
we
look
to
see
where
we
want
to
act
upon
a
next
year
and
I
just
might
add
that
councilman
green
who's
intimately
active
with
environmental
issues
as
well
and
on
the
board
on
the
Commission.
A
T
Also,
once
again
want
to
thank
you,
but
just
so
you
know
a
little
bit
about
my
background.
I
didn't
come
from
the
typical
political
background
that
people
might
expect
I've
a
degree
from
Penn
State
University
in
agronomy,
I'm,
a
soil
scientists
and
field
crop
management
and
I'm.
Gonna.
Be
very
blunt
about
this.
You
can't
grow
anything
if
the
environment
is
too
polluted.
An
agronomist
actually
helps
put
food
on
the
table.
T
In
fact,
if
you
had
a
good
meal
today
or
tomorrow,
well,
thank
you
to
grana
miss
because
somewhere
in
LA,
they
were
involved
in
growing
that
that
that
food.
So
my
point
to
you
is
this:
your
coming
forward
in
this
format
with
our
council
colleagues
is
so
important
to
hear
your
voices
I.
Thank
you
all
for
your
collective
time.
Once
again,
I
particularly
thank
the
four
young
ladies
who
took
a
little
challenge.
It's
not
easy
to
speak
in
public
fact.
Some
people
like
to
face
a
execution
rather
than
speak
in
public.
T
A
And
as
they
come
forward,
we're
going
to
ask
that
in
the
interest
of
time
so
that
we
don't
lose
our
members
that
we
do
you
limit
your
testimony
to
two
minutes
or
less
and
that
you
we're
hopeful
that
you
are
able
to
bring
us
new
information
so
that
we've
heard
you
know
a
lot
of
things
in
a
lot
of
information
today.
So,
but
if
we
could
pinpoint
some
some
things
that
we
may
not
have
heard,
we
would
like
to
hear
from
you
on
those
particular
items.
S
Thank
You
counselor
girls,
brown
and
ultimate
green
councilman
Talton
burg
for
this
opportunity
to
talk
to
the
committee.
I
have
submitted
a
written
testimony
which
I'm
not
going
to
repeat,
but
rather
refer
to
some
of
the
prior
testimony
that
we've
heard
today
as
being
more
relevant,
perhaps
to
to
the
ongoing
discussion.
S
The
Civil
Rights
Act
of
1964
lays
out
the
constitutional
rules
based
on
our
federal
law
and
our
laws
flow
down
from
the
federal
to
the
state
to
the
city
level
and
are
enforced
by
our
public
officials.
They
take
that
responsibility
in
a
very
narrow
sense,
based
upon
the
mandate
that
they've
been
given.
S
H
S
S
O
S
A
You
and
I
want,
you
know
Peter
as
I
was
mentioning
earlier.
Excuse
me
as
I
was
mentioning
earlier.
You
know,
out
of
you
know
the
testimony
that
we
received
today.
That
is
something
that
I
believe
that
we
are
going
to
be
taking
a
look
at
to
strengthen
air
management
and
when
these
permits
are
going
to
be
issued
and
in
under
what
conditions
and
in
what
communities
so
I
think
that
the
stander
we
found
out
you
know
unfortunately,
too
late.
A
The
standard
is
probably
much
much
much
too
low,
and
that
is
one
of
the
things,
the
things
that
we're
taking
away
from
today's
hearing
to
make
sure
that
we
can
figure
out.
How
do
we
address
that?
So
you
know
when
we
talk
about
that,
there's
going
to
be
additional
outcomes
from
today's
hearing.
I
just
wanted
to
mention
that
so
and
thank
you
for
your
testimony,
and
so
if
we
could
have,
the
next
person
testify.
I
know
that
you
want
it.
A
That
is,
after
this
panel
and
so
I
just
want
to
make
sure
that
everyone
who's
here
has
the
benefit
of
being
heard
by
all
of
the
members
and
I
know
that
have
every
busy
schedules-
and
you
know
some
folks
are
going
to
have
to
leave
probably
very
soon
so
so
we're
asking
folks
to
condense
their
testimony
just
to
make
sure
that
everyone
gets
a
chance
to
be
heard
by
the
full
panel.
That's
here
today
so
but
go
ahead.
Please
begin
your
testimony.
A
L
L
My
second
issue
is
my
concern
about
a
couple
of
the
projects
being
undertaken
in
the
city:
doing
merely
to
increase
profits
for
city
agencies
at
the
expense
of
the
health
of
city
residents.
When
I
was
growing
up
in
South,
Philly
I
could
always
smell
the
refineries.
I
had
a
track
before
the
age
of
two.
You
know
when
they
cut
your
airway
open,
because
I
couldn't
breathe.
I
had
asthma
until
I
moved
to
Mount
Airy
at
age
19
when
it
miraculously
went
away
from
ages.
L
13
to
18
I
also
worked
at
the
quartermaster's
base,
where
the
Defense
Department
moved
from
because
of
the
contamination
from
the
ground
under
refineries.
There
was
a
lot
of
money
spent
to
clean
up
the
ground
and
put
them
all
there.
But
now
PGW
wants
to
make
liquefy
gas
at
the
refineries
ensure
it
sounds
like
a
good
deal.
Pgw
will
not
only
have
gas
and
in
reserve,
but
it
can
also
make
money
off
of
the
surplus.
L
Like
septa
did
for
the
gas
plants
they're
building,
they
said
it
was
a
minor
plant,
but
it's
really
a
major
plant
subject
to
a
different
set
of
regulations,
or
they
said
it's
one
set
of
emissions,
but
they
lied
and
didn't
disclose
the
full
list
or
by
the
time
you
find
out
the
truth.
It's
built
and
being
open
like
the
plant
they're
scheduled
to
start
up
and
nice
down
in
January.
L
The
current
federal
administration
does
not
even
believe
climate
change
exists,
even
though
the
air
experts
say
that
we
have
12
years
to
change
course.
State
and
federal
administrations
of
rolling
back
regulations
and
environmental
protections
is
Philadelphia.
The
largest
city
in
this
state,
going
to
follow
the
low
state
and
federal
thresholds.
Or
are
we
going
to
exceed
the
minimum
levels
of
protection
Tucson
designated
by
this
fracking
state
and
uphold
the
green
energy
commitment
made
by
the
mayor
of
this
metropolis
of
nearly
2
million
people?
L
We,
the
community,
do
not
want
polluting
projects
like
scepters,
5
gas
plants
and
PG
WS
liquefied
gas
plant
in
our
neighborhoods,
and
we
need
you,
our
Health
Committee,
to
enact
legislation
that
will
prevent
any
project
to
be
started
that
increases
air
land
or
water
pollution.
Stick
to
the
commitment
to
the
people
to
support
projects
that
are
sustainable
vs.,
supporting
projects
for
their
profit
value
at
the
expense
of
city
residents,
health.
L
We
need
legislation
now,
including
legislation
to
stop
the
gas
up
the
gas
plant
from
firing
up
in
January,
while
City
Council
is
out
of
session
at
minimum
without
comparable
and
significant
pollution
offset
like
only
the
electric
buses
in
in
the
northwest
part
of
the
city,
and
this
needs
to
be
accomplished
before
City
Council's
last
session
tomorrow,
because
they're
gonna
be
opening
up
their
plant
before
you
guys
even
get
back
I.
Thank
you
for
your
time.
Thank.
T
Members
and
all
in
attendance,
my
name
is
Eric
Marsh
I'm,
a
long-term
resident
of
nice
town
I'm,
also
here
representing
a
couple
of
different
organizations,
but,
more
importantly,
I'm.
The
father
of
a
nine-year-old
asthmatic
child.
So
I
want
to
thank
councilman
bass
for
bringing
up
the
fond
memory
of
the
ad
campaign
with
the
Native
American.
T
It
was
a
litter
campaign,
litterin
campaign
and
that
gentleman
was
standing
by
the
side
of
the
road
in
a
highway
in
California
talking
about
the
issue
of
pollution
and
litter,
but
there's
another
ad
campaign
from
the
same
time
period.
That
brings
to
mind-
and
that
was
the
ad
campaign
where
they
asked
where's
the
beef.
Remember
that
my
question
is
to
City
Council
where's,
the
beef.
Where
is
the
substance
and
policy
in
action
around
these
issues
of
environmental
racism
and
pollution
as
a
resident
of
nice
town
for
approximately
30
years?
T
I
have
witnessed
a
lot
of
change
in
my
community
and
sadly,
the
changes
that
have
occurred
in
environment
in
the
community
have
not
all
been
for
the
better.
The
process
of
removing
trees
that
one
slime
most
of
the
streets
in
Philadelphia
has
contributed
to
less
shade
and
a
hotter
months
in
the
summer,
poor
air
quality
and
less
green
space
in
a
community
that
has
already
overrun
by
concrete
and
asphalt
these
materials
already
absorb
more
heat
and
repel
rainwater.
T
T
In
2018,
a
state
of
the
air
report
from
the
American
Lung
Association
found
that
Philadelphia
is
the
12th
most
polluted
city
in
the
country.
In
each
year,
126
people
die
from
air
pollution,
related
illnesses
and
284
are
hospitalized.
According
to
reports
now
I'm
gonna
skip
over
some
of
my
report.
You
already
have
my
testimony
in
writing.
The
reality
is
that
there
are
much
more
knowledgeable
and
competent
people
who
have
testified
on
the
statistics
and
the
data
and
some
of
the
solutions
I'm.
T
T
T
I've
lived
in
nice
town
for
many
many
years
and
I've
looked
at
that
mid
ville
plant
except
they're
purchased
decades
ago.
Many
people
who
come
and
go
throughout
Philadelphia
don't
live
in
nice
town
area,
but
when
they
use
their
route
one
overpass
they
can
see
that
area.
It
looks
like
a
bomb
went
off
in
that
area.
T
It
has
been
a
dilapidated
eyesore
in
nice
town
for
almost
30
years,
since
the
closing
of
the
steel
plant
that
used
to
be
near
septa
has
done
nothing
to
mitigate
that
situation
and
they
have
done
nothing
nothing
to
regrain
the
space,
and
this
addition
of
this
gas
plant
is
simply
in
no
way
beneficial
to
community.
It
does
not
create
jobs,
it
does
not
help
the
immediate
community
surrounding
it
and,
in
fact,
by
adding
the
air
pollution
that
the
plant
is
planning
to
to
admit.
It
exacerbates
the
already
horrible
health
conditions
that
already
exist.
T
So
I
asked
city
council
now
where's
the
beef.
The
reality
is,
we
have
to
do
something
we
have
to
do
something
to
mitigate
this
problem.
You
can
stop
this
gas
plant.
The
technology
and
information
that
is
used
to
approve
this
plant
has
already
been
shown.
That
is
two
decades
old.
We
need
to
update
our
policies
and
our
practices,
because
lives
are
depending
on
it.
Children's
lives
are
depending
on
it.
T
I
had
a
conversation
recently
with
a
fellow
activist
around
this
issue
of
the
gas
plant,
and
we
asked
the
question:
well,
what
would
you
do
if
it
started
if
it
opened
up
if
it
operated,
their
reaction
was
I
think
I
might
have
to
move.
My
mother
is
75
years
old.
The
house
she
lives
in
has
been
owned
by
three
generations
in
our
family.
T
A
O
I
just
want
to
thank
the
panel
for
their
testimony.
Mr.
Morris,
you
brought
up
the
issue
of
lead
asbestos
and
mold
in
our
schools.
I've
been
working
with
both
Penn
environment
position
for
Social,
Responsibility
and
other
and
the
phillip
federation
teachers.
We
just
recently
introduced
legislation
that
will
require
the
Health
Department
to
put
some
guidelines
before
the
pardon
license
inspections
issues,
especially
certificate
of
occupancy
for
schools
open
because,
as
many
people
in
this
room
knows
that
we've
had
a
lot
of
issues
regarding
lead
asbestos
and
mold
that
going
into
the
beginning
of
a
school
year.
O
Council
and
scuola
did
legislation
regarding
lead,
I've
done
legislation
regarding
expenses,
the
mold.
We
hope
that
hearings
on
that
issue
going
forward
in
the
fall.
So
that
way
we
can
hold
people
more
accountable
reference
to
the
physical
environment
of
the
buildings,
where
our
students
and
my
son
of
them
is
a
student
that
I've
a
school
district.
Our
teachers,
my
mother,
taught
a
school
district
for
thirty
years
and
other
non
teaching
professionals
deal
with
an
environment
perspective
in
the
school
buildings.
So
thank
you
for
your
testimony.
A
R
R
So
not
only
are
the
EPA
standards
used
by
the
Health
Department,
a
compromise
between
the
various
health
and
industry
stakeholders,
the
EPA
seeks
to
satisfy.
They
are
being
attacked
and
backtracked
every
day
by
the
current
administration.
But
you,
city,
council,
don't
need
EPA
standards
to
protect
Philadelphia
citizens.
You
have
a
state
constitution
that
provides
for
clean
air
as
a
right,
so
please
formulate
new
air
quality
standards
for
project
permitting
in
Philadelphia
that
take
the
following
into
consideration.
R
New
fossil
fuel
projects
are
often
intentionally
designed
to
come
in
just
under
the
level
of
pollution
that
would
trigger
EPA
major
source
regulations.
This
is
the
case
with
both
the
septa
gas
plant
and
the
proposed
PGW
LNG
plant.
But
what
has
come
to
be
used
as
a
loophole
in
for
EPA
standards
doesn't
need
to
be
a
Philadelphia
loophole,
require
permit
seekers
to
assess
health
impacts
that
consider
not
just
the
project
they
wish
to
build.
That
is
carefully
designed
not
to
trigger
major
source
regulations
but
also
other
pollution
sources.
At
the
location.
R
There
are
EPA
standards
for
PM
2.5
particulates,
but
not
for
ultrafine
particulates,
which
may
be
even
more
damaging
to
health
commission.
Your
own
review
may
be
direct
the
Health
Department
to
do
it
of
the
growing
research
literature
on
ultrafine
particulates
and
set
your
own
standards
require
that
permit
seekers
collect
monitoring
data
from
the
specific
location
where
they
wish
to
build.
R
Not
some
tree-lined
Street
that
happens
to
be
the
closest
existing
monitoring
station,
require
monitoring
data
to
be
reported
four
times
throughout
the
day
and
throughout
the
seasons,
and
do
not
allow
data
averaging
people
do
not
get
to
breathe
on
average.
Bad
air
days
are
exactly
the
ones
we
need
to
eliminate,
rather
than
permitting
them
to
be
hidden.
In
average,
data
permit
applications
for
polluting
projects,
particularly
environmental
justice
neighborhoods,
should
always
require
public
notification
and
public
hearings.
R
A
A
G
A
G
My
name
is
Yvette
dickerson
I
live
at
58th
and
Upland
way.
Pico
is
preparing
to
erect
an
electrical
substation
from
my
house,
50
yards
at
least
50
yards
away
from
my
home.
Now
we
have
had
meetings
back
and
forth
with
them.
We
have
suggested
solar
panels
now.
Blondell
I
believe
has
an
initiative
where
there's
going
to
be
a
solar
farm
erected
on
the
outside
of
the
city
that
will
solar
and
provide
energy
for
city
buildings.
G
I've
read
that
article
okay,
okay
and
my
issue
here
is:
why
is
it
that
Pico
cannot
consider
something
like
that
number
one?
It's
50
yards
away
from
the
general
population,
I
manage
Ora
T
of
us
living
there
sunder
transition,
but
the
majority
of
us
are
brown
people.
The
other
thing.
That
is
a
concern
for
me.
That
project
did
have
an
appeal
process,
an
appeal
was
put
in
then
it
was
taken
out
WRA.
At
the
time
we
were
under
recalled
the
front
line
residents.
G
We
were
under
the
Winfield
residents
association
at
that
time
once
they
appealed
that
they
took
the
appeal
away.
They
never
gave
us
any
indication
that
they
took
it
away.
They,
let
us
know
about
removing
the
appeal.
Two
weeks
later,
it
was
too
late
for
us
to
say
anything
or
do
anything
that
was
WRA.
Michael
read
the
president
as
well
as
ebony
Griffin
his
lawyer
once
they
withdrew
the
appeal
that
stopped
the
front
line
residents
from
saying
anything.
G
So
that's
the
reason,
one
of
the
reasons
why
I
really
threw
on
my
clothes
and
ran
down
here
at
this
point
in
time.
We
feel
that
we're
sacrificial
lambs
or
what
they
call
an
acceptable
risk,
and
that
is
just
not
acceptable.
We
have
been
living
at
58th
and
upland
way
under
anxiety
and
a
great
deal
of
pain,
because
we
don't
know
what
our
future
looks
like
and,
quite
frankly,
we
wake
up
every
day
upset
because
Pico
does
not
have
to
build
an
electrical
power
plant
50
yards
from
my
front
door.
G
A
A
B
My
name
is
sergeant
Gerald
Brown
I
came
here
today,
I'm
a
part
of
the
Sierra
Club,
but
I
came
in
today
for
the
reason
that
I'm,
a
Vietnam
vet
I,
was
shot
on
three
separate
occasions.
Three
purple
hearts,
but
not
one
one
of
those
medals
could
keep
my
granddaughters
heart
breathing
because
she
had
a
lung
disease.
Five
months
old
I
have
five
other
grandchildren
with
asthma.
I
want
to
see
Pat
machine
and
I
can
tell
you
this
that
the
air
in
Vietnam
is
cleaner
than
the
air
here
in
the
greatest
country
in
the
world.
B
This
one
right
here,
I'm
here,
because
I
feel
that
these
big
companies
cept
and
everybody
else
they
put
profit
over
lives
and
that
shouldn't
be
ranked
that's
what
they're
doing
today.
You
know
you
know
places
like
China
that
wedeck
have
to
wear
masks
to
come
outside
that.
If
we
don't
fix
this
now,
that's
gonna
be
our
future.
You
have
to
buy
a
bag
air,
something
you
know.
I
mean
we
shouldn't
do
that.
You
have
children
that
will
not
tell
their
coach.
B
Do
you
the
things
we
have
to
address?
These
are
things
that
we
need
to
address
because
out,
young
children
are
suffering
I.
Seen
that
the
fourth
little
girl,
picking
up
a
hair
today
and
talked
they
talk
with
their
heart,
I
was
talking
to
you
today
with
my
heart:
I'm,
not
writing
down
anything,
because
we
know
what's
right,
we
know
what's
wrong.
B
Say
something
take
a
bat
and
beat
a
dentist.
Somebody's
head
I,
don't
want
much
my
other
grandchildren
to
die.
I,
don't
want
that,
and
I
have
a
lot
of
them.
My
wife
for
47
years
she
got
a
cancer
yeah
and
I.
Have
it
34
grandchildren
for
great-grand
all
from
my
wife,
so
I've
been
blessed
with
all
of
it,
but
they
need
to
be
safe.
A
F
Hi,
my
name
is
Lisa
Hastings
and
I'm
a
resident
Philadelphia
one
of
the
problems.
I
think
I
grew
as
a
woman
who
was
talking
about
that.
Our
permit
process
is
a
mess
and
one
of
the
problems
we
have
that
hurts
are
our
pollution
levels.
It
hurts
our
public
health
and
everything
else
is
that
Amos
somehow
has
this
idea
that,
and
they
said
it
many
times
that
if
a
permit
applicant
meets
the
current
regulations,
they
have
to
approve
the
permit,
regardless
of
what
the
public
says,
regardless
of
letters
of
intercession
that
everybody
does.
F
The
thing
is
that
the
if
the
city
is
serious
about
protecting
public
health
and
climate
change,
this
has
to
change.
It
is,
of
course
we
need
to
change
a
lot
of
regulations,
but
having
worked
with
regulations,
I
know
they're,
never
perfect
frequently,
you
know
they're
out
of
date,
or
they
don't
take
into
account
every
situation
you
have.
We
need
to
be
doing
more
and
even
though
EMS
claims
they
have
no
discretion.
F
I
just
wanted
to
bring
up
that
in
the
city
code
chapter
3,
section
300,
where
they
talk
about
the
department,
public
health
and
air
quality
and
everything
else.
They
say
it
says
that
compliance
with
regulations
is
one
of
the
factors
that
the
Department
of
Public
Health's
shall
consider
in
permit
approvals.
It
does
not
say
that
it's
the
only
factor.
F
A
F
Yeah
one
is
in
the
environmental
justice
policy.
Now
only
requires
the
city
to
allow
people
to
have
more
venting
situations.
I
think
that
the
it
should
be
changed
to
apply
to
smaller
facilities
as
well
and
to
require
comprehensive,
Public,
Health
and
economic
analyses
to
be
performed
for
large,
polluting
sources
and
environmental
justice
areas,
and
basically,
that
those
should
be
completed
before
permit
is,
is
applied
for.
A
A
F
You
have
the
opportunity
as
human
beings
at
a
time
when
our
species
is
facing
the
possibility
of
extinction
due
to
global
climate
change,
to
actually
tackle
in
the
poorest
in
the
poorest,
big
US
city,
the
issues
of
poverty
and
climate
change
together,
and
that
is
I,
believe
your
mandate
and
south
of
Afyon
who
have
lost
generations
to
cancer.
These
you
know,
look
I,
think
Louisiana
is
much
more
well
known,
for
you
know
areas
of
of
the
state
seen
as
cancer
alley
and
in
South
Philadelphia.
It's
exact
same
thing.
Folks
see
themselves
in
that
story.
F
Stinger
Square,
Park
at
32nd
and
read
every
year,
has
a
collective
memorial
memorializing
folks
who
have
lost
their
lives
to
answer
I'm
so
just
want
to
say
that
a
moratorium
on
any
fossil
fuel
expansion
is
clearly
the
opposite
direction.
We
need
to
go.
That's
very
obvious.
Our
current
campaign
pay
up.
Ps
is
really
looking
at
getting
the
oil
refinery
to
pay
reparations
for
the
damages.
It's
caused
residents
and
there
are
mechanisms
to
do
that.
Looking
into
supplementary
environmental
projects
is
one
way,
taking
the
fines
that
they
pay,
as
they
continuously
violate
the
law.
F
To
actually
go
towards
communities
instead
of
money
disappearing
back
into
the
system,
South
Philly
is,
is
ready
to
is
ready
to
lead
this
transition,
and
if
you
accept,
we
have
folks
who
want
to
testify
today
who
are
in
cancer
treatment
this
morning.
So
it's
it's
imperative
that
that
you
all
take
this
on.
Thank
you.
Thank.
B
Good
morning
my
name
is
Annie
aching
and
I
moved
from
Georgia
to
Philadelphia
in
1966
and
when
I
moved
here
that
our
refinery
was
over
there
and
since
then
the
war
has
happened
and
they,
the
military,
moved
out
of
South
Philadelphia
the
naval
base.
All
of
that
moved
up
that
pollution
was
going
on.
During
that
same
time,
the
Naval
Hospital
that
was
there.
My
grandson
was
even
born
there.
That
is
now
the
Eagles
complex
property,
all
those
homes
that
was
over.
They
owned
their
area.
B
They
tore
them
all
down
because
they
all
belong
to
the
military.
They
built
some
new
homes
over
there
and
there's
also
petroleum
under
those
homes
and
stuff
over
there.
I
don't
know
if
those
people
are
aware
that
petroleum
is
still
under
those
homes
over
there,
but
I
have
I'm
doing
my
fourth
generation
now
we're
all
victims
of
asthma
and
cancer
has
went
through
the
neighborhood
a
lot
of
our
elderly.
B
If,
if
I
mean,
if
you
can
get
the
record
of
it,
a
lot
of
funeral
homes
that
has
buried
people
that
have
died
from
cancer,
my
thing
is:
is:
can
y'all
find
some
kind
of
way
to
find
out?
Can
these
refineries
cap
that
smoke
and
turn
it
into
some
other
kind
of
energy,
so
it
don't
flow
out
into
that
it
to
the
atmosphere
same
and
put
some
kind
of
stipulation
on
that
they
have
to
cap
this
stuff
and
turn
it
into
some
kind
of
images
without
it
flowing
out
into
the
environment
and
killing
people.
B
So
if
y'all
can
work
out
some
of
that,
it
would
be
highly
appreciated
and
you
might
save
a
lot
of
lives,
and
that
includes
all
the
rest
of
these
fineries
things.
That's
trying
to
go
up
around
here,
that's
already
in
existence.
Their
whole
existence
stuff,
is
what
we
got
to
put
a
curtail
on,
as
well
as
the
new
stuff.
That's
trying
to
be
built,
and
thank
you
for
listening
to
me.
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
I
Name
is
Pat
Libby
I'm
a
volunteer
with
many
environmental
organizations
in
town,
I
guess
my
heart
is
breaking
because
it's
Christmas
time
and
it's
a
wonderful
time
of
giving,
especially
to
children
and
in
Philadelphia
we're
wonderful,
we're
giving
20%
more
asthma
to
the
children
in
nice.
Town.
Isn't
that
spectacular,
50%
of
the
kids
are
going
to
be
down
every
day
with
it,
teachers
will
go
to
school
and
half
of
their
class
will
be
missing.
You
have
two
kids,
one
has
to
stay
home,
which
parent
takes
that
duty.
I
How
often
who
loses
their
job
because
of
it?
But
it's
more
than
just
Philadelphia
and
the
asthma
problem
across
the
state.
What
we're
doing
with
gas
and
we're
bringing
an
awful
lot
of
gas
in
here
to
do
this
gas
plant,
the
fracking,
that's
creating
the
gas
is
giving
a
whole
bunch
of
new
gifts
to
people
across
the
state.
It's
killing
children
in
the
womb.
I
They
don't
even
get
out
of
the
uterus,
they're
gone
and
if
they
happen
to
get
out
of
the
uterus,
they
have
horrible,
rashes,
stomach,
pains,
headaches
the
asthma,
of
course,
neurological
problems
across
the
state,
and
all
of
this
is
probably
going
to
be
coming
here.
The
dr
bc
is
meeting
today
to
decide
whether
we're
gonna
allow
fracking
fluid
to
be
dumped
into
our
delaware
river
basin.
I
So
we
look
ahead
at
the
future.
What
will
our
kids
be
facing?
I
wrote
a
poem
to
tom
wolfe
about
the
whole
thing.
It's
short
I'd
like
to
read
that
and
that'll
be
the
end
of
mine.
I
am
the
voice
of
this
stillborn
who
cannot
speak.
I
am
the
voice
for
the
disabled
in
pain.
I
am
the
voice
of
the
asthmatics
who
cannot
breathe.
I
am
the
voice
for
those
you
have
slain.
They
breathe
the
air
that's
polluted
by
toxins
they
drink
the
water,
that's
darkened
by
grime.
I
A
Thank
you
very
much
for
your
testimony
for
the
problem.
That
being
our
final
witness
here
to
testify
today,
I
want
to
thank
everyone
who
came
out
for
this
very
important
hearing.
I
also
want
to
acknowledge
teresa
Miller
who's
here
from
the
Office
of
Council
of
state
representative,
Rosita,
Youngblood
and
who's
been
here
the
entire
time,
and
we
thank
you
particularly
around
the
nice
town
power
plant
issue
and
the
representative
and
I
have
been
partners
and
working
on
this
issue
together.
A
So
you
know
we
really
thank
her
for
her
support
on
this
stateside
and
also
senator
Sharif
Street.
We
know
has
done
some
work
on
this
matter
too,
and
it's
been
very
helpful.
So
thank
you
so
much
to
our
partners
in
the
Commonwealth
and
that
being
the
last
speaker.
This
concludes
the
public
meeting
on
the
Committee
on
Public,
Health
and
Human
Services,
and
there
being
no
further
testament
further
business
before
the
committee,
and
we
want
to
thank
everyone
for
their
attendance
Mina.
Did
you
say:
did
you
sign
up
Mina?