It's not about a name, it's about the quality of the air students, administrators, teachers, and support personnel will inhale

Photo from Paul Proctor's Post in North Huntsville Environmental Concerns(NHECC)

Someone on the Huntsville City Schools Board of Education thought it would be a good idea to build a $65,000 million dollar, predominately African American Middle/High School,  less than half a mile from an active rock quarry.  There are grave concerns about the air quality levels in the area.  These are remarks addressed to BOE district 5 representative Mike Culbreath during citizens comments at the special call meeting on March 18, 2013.

The BOE cut the live camera feed after the Superintendent and BOE made their comments.  Links inserted for emphasis and clarity.

Good evening,
 I am going to address my remarks to my board member, Mike Culbreath with the hope he will listen to the valid concerns I have regarding the location of the new J.O.Johnson Highs School (I said J.O. Johnson High School because the BOE violated it's own naming policy when it illegally renamed the school), being located less than half a mile from an active rock quarry. 

 I am concerned the BOE has not performed adequate air quality level testing, and most importantly an environmental health risk assessment to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and support personnel.  Currently the BOE is basing their assurance the air quality levels are safe on one test, which was conducted during a period of inactivity, which is not an accurate assessment of air quality.

The  Superintendent and the BOE point to several  other schools that are located even closer to an active rock quarry as rationale for building another school in the area, possibly putting more human beings at risk for respiratory illnesses.  Two wrongs don't make a right, and we didn't know then whatwe know now.

 Mr. Culbreath I am begging you to perform the same due diligence you wold apply to developing a subdivision to the location of the new J.O. Johnson High School.  There is liability for the health, safety and well being of students, teachers, administrators and support personnel.  Lives are at stake.

School Board President David Blair was asked on February 28, 2014 how long was the BOE going to continue to ignore the valid concerns about the air quality at the new J.O. Johnson High School,  he said, "Get me a health risk analysis and I will listen to you."  Mr. Blair has it twisted,  it's his responsibility to provide the citizens with an environmental health risk analysis, not the other way around.  And for the record, elected officials can't decide who they are going to listen too.  They have a duty to listen to ALL taxpayers.

On February 28, 2014 District 5 City Councilman Will Culver said "I looked at all the reports and the air quality at the Pulaski Pike monitoring station (located half a mile from an active rock quarry) is better than the air quality at the Airport Road monitoring station (7.8 miles away).  How can the air quality 7.8 miles away from an active rock quarry be worse than the air quality less than half a mile from an active rock quarry?

At the BOE meeting on March 18, 2014 the Superintendent and the School Board made a point of emphasizing their concern for the students. As they say in my neighborhood, talk is cheap.  How about showing some concern and conduct adequate and aggressive air quality testing, and an environmental health risk analysis ,before you build a $65 million dollar school that may, or may not,  be safe for students to occupy.  It doesn't matter whose name is on the outside of the building, what does matter is the quality of the air the students, administrators, teachers, and support personnel will be inhaling 8 hours a day,  5 days a week.

How long is this issue going to be ignored by those who claim to care about the students, administrators, teachers, and support personnel?

"For the sake of giving our community a new school"

"We were fighting for the right to breathe back then."   I'm not sure who made this statement, or where I read it, but I believe the late civil rights icon Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth used these words to describe the conditions during the civil rights movement as it related to the treatment, or should I say mistreatment, of African Americans. If I am wrong someone please correct me. Over 50 years later we are still fighting for the right to breathe, the difference is now we are fighting for the right to breathe clean air.

Like so many other things, pollution and environmental destruction disproportionately affect both people of color and the economically disadvantaged. This phenomenon is often referred to as environmental injustice and ties together the concepts of racial/economic privilege with unequal burden of the effects of environmental abuse.
Environmental racism is "the process whereby environmental decisions, actions, and policies result in racial discrimination or the creation of racial advantages."

None dare call it environmental racism, but that is exactly what is happening with the relocation of the new Mae Jemison High, other public schools, and parks in close proximity to an active rock quarry.  What started out as a fight to save the name of J.O.Johnson High School  turned into a fight for the rights of students, administrators, teachers, and support personnel in north Huntsville to breathe relatively clean air.

Why would anyone want to build school(s) and a recreational park near an active rock quarry?  That is the question.

Would those with the power to make these decisions want their loved ones attending/working in a school built less than a mile from an active rock quarry?  I think not.

The city of Huntsville is standing by the school districts assertion the air is "safe to breathe" at the location of the new, illegally named Mae Jemison High School, but to the best of my knowledge they are basing this on one test conducted on one day, in the early morning hours when there was no activity at the rock quarry.

If, I repeat, If, the DOJ approved the building of the new north Huntsville high school based on this one test, I not only have a problem with the BOE and the City of Huntsville, I have a problem with our  government.

In July 1964 Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. (PDF) (13 pp, 23K, About PDF) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act states that "No person in the United States shall, on the ground of race, color, or national origin, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
In February 1994, President Clinton issued Executive Order 12898, "Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income Populations." In a separate memorandum, President Clinton identified Title VI as one of several federal laws already in existence that can help "to prevent minority communities and low-income communities from being subject to disproportionately high and adverse environmental effects."

 The only reason a new school is being built in north Huntsville is because is because south Huntsville wanted a new school. What south Huntsville wants, south Huntsville gets. Don't get me wrong, I don't begrudge south Huntsville getting a new school and keeping their name, I just don't believe it should be at the expense of the lives of north Huntsville residents.