JUSTIN GARNER: River Valley Organizing, Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services to host Wellsville meeting
For years, the people living around the Wellsville Terminal have found their front porches, cars, gardens, and streets covered in strange dust.
The Terminal, located at 108 16th Street, is a hub that helps transport coal, steel, coke and other materials around the country by connecting the Ohio River to major highways and railways.
Residents have long complained about large piles of uncovered material that blows into their neighborhood and harms their quality of life.
Meeting planned
To educate residents about how to protect their health and wellbeing, River Valley Organizing (RVO) and Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services will host a community meeting at 6 p.m., July 22 at the Wellsville VFW, 359 Main Street.
“The people of Wellsville work hard to provide for themselves and their loved ones,” said RVO Environmental Protection Organizer Jamie Nentwick. “For too long, the Wellsville Terminal has been allowed to put their health and safety at risk. Instead of following simple safety guidelines, terminal owners pad their profits by cutting corners. They leave toxic material uncovered to blanket our community in dangerous dust.”
During the community meeting, Fair Shake will educate residents about local ordinances that can strengthen protections for health; new laws to keep soot and dust out of the air; and community benefits that can bring accountability and transparency.
“We are excited to support the community to create a vision of what they want for their air, water, and neighborhoods, and then move this vision into action,” said Fair Shake Community Democracy Program Manager Meagan Nieble. “Our role is to help Wellsville residents find solutions so that everyone in Wellsville feels happy, healthy, and can be part of decisions about their town.”
RVO will provide food and offer door prizes including a trip to Mountaineer Casino, the Holden Arboretum in Cleveland, and a signed Pittsburgh Steelers photograph.
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