By Randy Brinson
North Birmingham’s 35th Avenue Superfund site isn’t a problem crying out for a solution — it’s a problem crying out for several solutions.
There is no single quick fix that will address all the problems that a century of toxic industries and pollution have brought to Collegeville, Fairmont, and Harriman Park. High levels of lead, arsenic and benzopyrene (a known cancer-causing chemical) in 400 sites prompted the EPA’s involvement in 2011, and thankfully the cleanup efforts are already underway. It’s hoped that cleanup will be completed in the next three years.
Cleaning up the contaminated soil is only the first step in addressing the problem. Screening for lead poisoning in the area’s children has already been done by the Jefferson County Department of Health. Young children are particularly vulnerable to the toxic effects of lead, and lead builds up in the body over time. These children will have to be monitored regularly until the cleanup is complete, and for some time thereafter. Children’s Hospital is close enough to provide the care these children need, but transportation and insurance coverage are barriers to getting that care.
Most of the children in the area will qualify for either Medicaid or ALL Kids, the Alabama Children’s Health Insurance Program. Kid One, a Birmingham-based non-profit whose mission is providing transportation to and from medical care to children in need, can bring these children to care providers. The problems with these services are ones of awareness and paperwork. Medicaid and ALL Kids paperwork can be difficult, and not everyone knows about Kid One.
The immediate solution is to raise awareness of these programs in the area, and provide assistance with forms and arrangements for appointments. I intend to work actively with faith leaders in the area to spread the word about these programs. I have a long history of faith-based work through my years as Head of the Christian Coalition of Alabama and Redeem the Vote, and firmly believe in the power of Christ’s Church to reach out to the community in times of need.
As the next senator from Alabama, I will have a powerful bully pulpit to speak out about this issue, and I intend to use that platform to do just that. I also have a health care plan ready to present to Congress to address the structural problems of our current system. We need both political parties to come to the table to address health care, and my plan will not only strengthen Medicaid, but reverse some of the burdens the Affordable Care Act has placed on working families through higher premiums and deductibles. My plan allows health care insurance to be sold across state lines, which will pressure the insurance companies to offer better plans at lower prices, and assures every American has access to affordable insurance.
For the 35th Avenue residents who may develop cancer in the future from the soil and water of the site, having good health care at an affordable cost is a necessity, and my plan does that.
Cleaning up the toxic areas and taking care of the health of those affected is only the first step in making things right. The EPA is currently negotiating with five companies to recover the cost of cleanup: Drummond, US Pipe and Foundry, ERP Coke, KMAC and Alagasco.
As senator, I will strongly encourage the EPA to add the North Birmingham site to the National Priority List, which will make more resources available to correct the damage so many decades of industrial pollution has done to the area.
Making the 35th Avenue site safe again isn’t just a matter of hauling off a few truckloads of dirt. Five Mile Creek and Village Creek both flow through the site, and when they flood they can re-contaminate areas that have already been cleaned. As I recently learned while driving to Bethel Baptist Church during heavy rains, the roads around the church flood easily. Storm drains and sewers in the area are sadly in need of extensive work, and as a Senator I will make it a priority to make federal funds available to the City and County to do this work as soon as possible.
Lastly, as senator, I will fight the corruption and cronyism that has resisted efforts to clean up this site, and work to hold the responsible parties accountable. The people of the 35th Avenue site deserve no less.
For all these reasons, I ask for your vote on August 15th.
Randy Brinson, a Montgomery gastroenterologist and the president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, is a candidate for U.S. Senate.
