A Toxic Legacy: Douglass Park Residents In Their Own Words, Part 2

THE DOUGLASS PARK NEIGHBORHOOD is home to a toxic legacy.
Beneath the vacant lot at 5th and Hill, the soil and groundwater
have long been contaminated. Along with an abandoned
pump house, this contamination is the last remaining sign
that a manufactured gas plant once sat on the property.
The Douglass Park neighborhood is also home to a
group of residents who are tackling this legacy head-on.
Part of that toxic legacy is about information, or rather the
lack of it. Most residents say they’ve heard very little over
the years from the companies responsible for the site—
Ameren and its predecessor company, Illinois Power. They
find this to be problematic, given the contaminants in the
ground at 5th and Hill including benzene, among other
cancer-causing agents. Health concerns, of course, are
another part of the site’s toxic legacy. Many residents have
voiced concerns about illness in their families, and in the
families of friends and neighbors. They suspect some of
these illnesses may be related to contaminants present at
the site.
In recent weeks, many Douglass Park neighbors sat
down with the C-U Political Action Project to share their
perspectives on the 5th and Hill Site and its toxic legacy.
LILLIAN DRIVER,
DOUGLASS PARK
RESIDENT
When did you first become
aware of the situation with
the 5th and Hill site?
I became aware through
a group of young students
[The C-U Political Action
Project]. No one from Ameren or the city ever informed any
of us. I’ve been in this area for seven years, no one ever
informed me. I was concerned, because I would see people
taking water samples, and the coalition was the one who
confirmed that there was a problem. So I wasn’t wrong in my
thinking.
How would you evaluate the efforts of Ameren and its predecessor
company, Illinois Power, when it comes to informing the
neighborhood? Do you feel the companies have done a good job
helping people become informed over the years? Do you think
there is anything they could or should have done differently?
I would rate them very poorly. They never, they never
informed us of anything. I’ve been here for seven years,
and I was never informed. Even my neighbors were never
informed. They’ve done a horrible job. They should have
informed all of the neighbors personally if there was a
problem, and that they were trying to take care of it. So it
lets us see and think they’re not doing anything, they’re
not concerned, because they never informed any of us.
You’re part of the coalition between people in the Douglass
Park Neighborhood, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, and
Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Some have
argued that the coalition is about the concerns of people outside
the neighborhood, rather than about the concerns of people in
the neighborhood. What is your reaction to that?
That is not true. We are very well concerned. I was so
happy to know that when this group of young students
come to my home to inform me that there was a problem.
That confirmed to me, and that here they are taking the initiative
to help bring about a solution, makes us really appreciate
these young students trying to bring forth a solution for
Ameren to help clean up the situation. So this is the only
concern we’ve seen. Not Ameren, these young students.
PAULETTE COLEMAN, FORMER DOUGLASS
PARK RESIDENT &
CCHCC STAFF
MEMBER
What concerns do you have
about how the site may
have affected people over
the years? What concerns,
if any, do you have about
living near the site today?
I’m really concerned about the health risks and what
the long terms health risks are. Because this is a community
where people don’t move away. If you get a house over
here, it’s probably because you can’t afford to get a house
somewhere else. So you probably tend to stay in the house
in the area a lot longer.
So I’m really interested in what the other health effects
are, besides the possible [cancer] cluster and different things
like that. I would really like to know the other effects. We’ve
been hearing about women with strange bleeding episodes.
Women having surgeries on their reproductive organs at
young ages. Young boys around here have had problems
that might be related to attention deficit disorders
What successes has the coalition had so far? What still
needs to be addressed?
I believe that the coalition’s success is that people are
now talking about it. People are now asking questions.
You know, it went years and years without any questions.
People were dying, people were having strange bleeding
episodes, and nobody even thought twice about it. Now
that questions are being raised [about whether these problems
are connected to the site], and that’s the best thing.
Word of mouth is the best. The more they talk to each
other, the more they can say “oh, my family is having similar
problems.” You know it’s easier to talk to someone who
you think can relate to you.
I think the coalition should definitely try to work with
Ameren and all the other people to keep the community
notified of the important changes or what the health risks
are. Because still—right now—today—they’re not informed.
I think the community should be informed at every step.
RUFUS KERSH, DOUGLASS PARK RESIDENT
What concerns do you have
about how the site may
have affected people over
the years? What concerns,
if any, do you have about
living near the site today?
This could be deadly
stuff, you know what I’m
sayin’? I got kids over
here so, you know. And this used to be my old stompin’
grounds so I want to know what’s going on.
You’re part of the coalition between people in the Douglass
Park Neighborhood, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, and
Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Some have
argued that the coalition is about the concerns of people outside
the neighborhood, rather than about the concerns of people
in the neighborhood. What is your reaction to that?
Well, it’s about time somebody started speaking up,
because this is some serious stuff. This toxic stuff, people
are concerned about this, because people live around here.
Kids live around here. You know that’s what I think.
What successes has the coalition had so far? What still
needs to be addressed?
The success has been informing people. That’s what we
need to keep doing. Inform people. Inform more people.