Toxic Soil Busters Day
by Matt Feinstein
Wednesday, Jun. 21, 2006 at 12:14 PM
matt@worcesterroots.org PO Box 20904, Worcester, MA 01602
Mayor Tim Murray declares June 20, 2006 "Toxic Soil Busters Day". Members of Worcester Roots Project went before city council yesterday to receive the mayor's proclamation that commended the youth for their work making Worcester’s soils safe from lead contamination and setting examples as activists for social and environmental justice.
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In the words of the Toxic Soil Busters Co-op team:
We are the Toxic Soil Busters and we get the lead out. We will help you make your yard or garden lead free for your safety and the safety of your children. We will test your soil and we will educate Worcester about lead. The community needs to be informed about the dangers of lead ingestion, and that is what we, Toxic Soil Busters, do. We strive to uphold environmental justice, aiding all and treating all the same, and not judging someone because of their race, wealth, sexual orientation, or gender. It is not fair that areas with a larger population of minorities or areas of people who have a low income are treated with less respect. The government knows that there is more lead in these areas, yet because they do not have the money to pay for the remediation not enough is done about it. Toxic Soil Busters is here to help everyone and do what needs to be done; to support parents, tenants, youth, homeowners, and other neighbors who want to make a safe place for kids to live and play.
Toxic Soil Busters is the new youth program of the five-year-old grassroots organization Worcester Roots Project. Roots began as a small group of Worcester residents who had come together with concern about the issue of lead poisoning from soils where children play in our Main South and Piedmont neighborhoods. We had come across some information about a new low-cost way of getting lead out of the soil: planting scented geraniums to pull the heavy metal out of the ground. The group later learned that many plants also absorb lead and others help break down oil and other dangerous hydrocarbons. Since then, we have experimented with several species and conditions. By educating, organizing and cleaning Worcester’s soils, we are doing our part for environmental justice, but in the end it is up to all of us to inform ourselves and take action.
The majority of the contaminated soil near people’s homes is a result of lead paint chipping or flaking off existing older houses, or lead paint from previous houses that burned down and were not properly cleaned up. Also, contamination from leaded gasoline, commonly used in fuel until 1986, has left several areas of Worcester’s soils with high lead levels, especially near high-traffic roads and Interstate 290 that runs through many poor areas of the city.
The number of children found with severe lead poisoning in Worcester grew at an alarming rate this past year.. The number of children with elevated-high levels (15-25?g/dl) also more than doubled, rising from 31 to 64 between 2004 and 2005 (Source: Worcester’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program). This urgent situation is felt most in the poor neighborhoods of color, where approximately 90% of these cases can be found.
Is their lead in your soil?
The Worcester Roots Project’s Toxic Soil Busters are here to help!
Planning a garden?
Not sure if the soil is safe in a play area?
Want your backyard tested for lead?
That is where our team of 5 youth from Worcester comes in!
We provide:
- Soil Testing
- Support in making soil safe
- Soil safety education
Visit our website:
www.WorcesterRoots.org
And Contact Us:
Worcester Roots Project
info@WorcesterRoots.org
PO Box 20904
Worcester, MA 01602
worcesterroots.org
Mayor's Proclamation
by Matt Feinstein
Wednesday, Jun. 21, 2006 at 12:14 PM
matt@worcesterroots.org PO Box 20904, Worcester, MA 01602
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Presented by Mayor Tim Murray at the city council meeting last night.
worcesterroots.org
Video footage from the city council meeting
by Matt Feinstein
Wednesday, Jun. 21, 2006 at 12:14 PM
matt@worcesterroots.org PO Box 20904, Worcester, MA 01602
QuickTime movie at 11.0 mebibytes
worcesterroots.org
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