Cherokee Concerned Citizens (CCC) was formed in 2013 in Pascagoula, MS to protect the health and well-being of their community from exposure to industrial pollution. They face the threat of toxic pollution from multiple facilities in their fence-line community, with over 2 million tons of toxins released annually into the air. When state officials tested the air, proclaiming “all the samples well below any applicable health-based exposure threshold” residents knew they had to take matters into their own hands. Data collection, a large part of the group’s effort, includes conducting health surveys; collecting soil and air samples; engaging with media, elected officials, and state and federal agencies; reporting incidents; and participating in the permit process. CCC is fighting for the human right to life, clean air, water, and a healthy environment for themselves, their families, and their neighbors. They seek buyout opportunities for their community, as their homes are no longer safe.
The Cherokee subdivision borders industrial facilities at the Port of Pascagoula. Photo: Rory Doyle for Resource Rural
Barbara Weckesser and her neighbors have shared a lot of information since 2013, and a lot of effort. The group received technical support from Louisiana Environmental Action Network, technical assistance and equipment for soil testing from Public Lab, and help from Community Science Institute, and it partnered with Earthjustice to sue the EPA after it allowed Chevron to process pyrolysis oil, made from recyclable plastic, at its Pascagoula plant. Pascagoula, at the top of the Gulf coast has had significant petroleum and other industrial development since well before the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010. CCC expects it to continue. Most of the residents believe their neighborhood is already too polluted and expect no improvement and have consulted with groups like Buy-In Community Planning, an environmental nonprofit organization that helps communities, homeowners, and local governments arrange buyouts so they can recover at least some of the value of their property and move on.
Barbara Weckesser examines a device that measures air quality outside her home. Photo: Rory Doyle for Resource Rural