Activity 5.2 Shingle Mountain Case Study

 Define the problem

Immediate problems: The most prominent problem that is happening around the area where Shingle Mountain is located in the health of the people that live near it. According to researchers, shredding the shingles releases fiberglass into the area and can cause a multitude of symptoms such as irritation in the nose and throat. Prolonged exposure and infestation can cause “short term … irritation of the stomach and intestines. Vomiting may occur. (Fears and Muyskens, 2020)”

Context: The Shingles Mountain is an example of environmental racism and an example of what people who believe in environmental justice are fighting to eradicate. Communities of color statistically live in environments that are underfunded and are often the grounds for dumping hazardous materials. The reason why these communities are underfunded is because of racism. Communities of color are not seen as worthy enough to spend federal funds on. Many systems and regulations are working against the improvement of communities of color both historically and currently.

Protagonist and Perspectives: There are various perspectives on this case such as someone looking at this situation from an outsider's point of view, people who are directly affected by the mountain, the government's point of view, and the construction companies' perspective. The protagonist would be the people who advocated for the removal of the mountain but specifically Marsha Jackson. (Fears and Muyskens 2020)

Authority: The main authority figures in this case study would be the Dallas city officials (mayor, legislation, public affairs) and  Christopher Ganter along with his business partner Cabe Chadick.

Conduct an inquiry

In order to fully understand the context of what is happening in Dallas we have to look into the past. Historically speaking Dallas has had a long history with Jim Crow laws and slavery. Within the immediate area where Shingles Mountain is located, the area had been occupied by enslaved people and as time went on they became the majority of the population. (Fears,2021) Due to redlining, this area was viewed as undesirable because of the people that occupied that area. This town soon began to be targeted by multiple parties hoping to receive economic gain by building and draining the environment of its resources. Currently, the city of Dallas has a large number of people of color in their city with over 60 percent of the population being made up of Latinos and Black people. 


( The above picture is a satellite picture of Shingles Mountain found off of GPS satellite)

The history of Dallas is important because it still contributes to the way people of color are currently being treated. Areas, where there is a high population of black or brown people, face higher rates of pollution when compared to white communities. Environmental racism and food deserts are all problems that occur almost only in brown communities which is part of the reason why Shingles Mountain was built in an area with a high black/brown population.

Shingles mountain is made up of shingles used for constructing roofs. The reason why people had so many concerns regarding Shingles Mountain was that the shingles were being grounded up which would release toxins into the air. (Fears and Muyskens, 2021). Breathing in those toxins could result in numerous problems regarding a person's breathing ability. Prolonged exposure could also shorten a person's lifespan.

In 2017 an illegal recycling operation began which marks the foundation of which Shingles Mountain was first started. (Fears and Muyskens, 2021) The operation was conducted by two white businessmen hoping to get rid of their trash. Approximately one year later Mrs.Jackson filed her first complaint in January 2018 which continued over a seven-month period (Fears and Muyskens, 2021). Despite her multiple complaints, she received no response from the city.

In December 2018 the city of Dallas sued Ganter and Chadick responsible for operating an illegal recycling plant. Four months later Mrs.Jackson sued Ganter and Chadick along with the city of Dallas for granting the two businessmen a certificate of operation, she had stated “The city of Dallas defended this as a legal operation until March 2019,”(Fears and Muyskens, 2021). After the city of Dallas saw the case Mrs.Jackson was building Judge Gena Slaughter ordered Ganter and Chadwick to stop all operations and clear out the area. Along with a fine of 1000 dollars per day for every day Shingles Mountain was still sitting on the property. (Fears and Muyskens, 2021)

Ganter later filed for bankruptcy and shut down all operations of the recycling plant. He stated that he didn't have enough money to cover the cost of cleaning up the plant, however, two years later the city approved a 480,000 dollar budget to clear out Shingle Mountain and lawyers are currently working on a settlement for those who were affected by the plant.

Identify and evaluate alternative solutions

When thinking of plausible solutions two examples come to mind. The one that I think would benefit the community better involves reparations. I think that the government should provide funds to not only clean up their neighborhood but also take it a step further and better the environment. The damage done to the people as well as the environment should be our priority and both should be given the best chances of recovering from the toxic material placed in their community. By making an effort to clean the environment and right its wrongs the government could earn back the trust it lost by prioritizing money over the health of its people. Included in the clean-up of their neighborhood, they should issue a formal apology to all the community members. (NAACP,2022) The government could also fine the construction company to help cover the reparation costs. While it might cause the government some money I think the pros heavily outweigh the money spent. 

Another plausible solution would be to temporarily rehome the residents while people go into the neighborhood and restore the environment as much as they can to ensure that the negative effects are minimal. Improving environmental health will in turn positively affect the health of the residents as well. For either of these solutions to come to fruition, it will take a tremendous amount of legal processes as well as protesting. The construction company and government are not going to want to give up money to help their communities but by obtaining evidence and presenting it to a court I believe they could gain some type of reparation. The evidence they would need to gather should include eyewitness accounts, photographic proof, proof of the environmental disruption caused by the debris, and a detailed report involving every aspect of what had happened.

Present conclusions

The care and representation of the environment in communities of color are not being seen or treated as areas worth taking care of. The long history America has with people of color especially Hispanic and Black people goes back for hundreds of years and still permeates itself into the world we live in today. Instead of valuing the health and safety of the people and our environment, it is a second thought in the face of potential economic gain. The local government lost its trust in the same people that elected them into office and should do everything in their power to make it up to them. The environmental damage done to this neighborhood is irreversible but can be managed.

 

Citations


Fears, Darryl, and John Muyskens. “Shingle Mountain: How a Pile of Toxic Waste Was Dumped in a Community of Color.” Washington Post, 16 Nov. 2020, www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2020/11/16/environmental-racism-dallas-shingle-mountain/?arc404=true.

Fears, Darryl. “Something to Sing About: Shingle Mountain, a Giant Pile of Pollution, Finally Gone.” Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2021, www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2021/02/26/shingle-mountain-dallas-removal.


NAACP. “Reparations.” NAACP, 13 June 2022, naacp.org/resources/reparations.


GPS location (picture)

https://www.google.com/maps/place/9527+S+Central+Expy,+Dallas,+TX+75241/@32.6808305,-96.7346758,823m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x864ebd717cd0931d:0x4fc503159e7c8bac!8m2!3d32.6808809!4d-96.7334806


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