|
|
In 1978, the Ward Transformer Company illegally dumped PCB-lined oil along 210 miles of highways in North Carolina. PCB/PCBs or polychlorinated biphenyl(s) are toxic chemicals known to increase health-related risks. People across the state started to comment on the dark and strong-smelling substance in their communities.
As construction of the toxic waste facility began in Afton, community members voiced their concerns and dissent with being chosen as the dump site for the waste. In September of 1982, after years of political engagement, Warren County residents mobilized against the establishment of a PCB toxic waste dump in the mostly-Black community of Afton. These protests were known as the PCB protests and successfully ensured no waste from outside of Warren County would be placed at the site and guaranteed that no other such facility could be built within 100 miles of Warren County. The PCB protests are recognized as the birth of the environmental justice movement. The events prompted the landmark national study of hazardous waste landfill siting, “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States.” Warren County residents sparked a now global movement against environmental racism. |
|
Check out the trailer for the most recent documentary by John Rash and Melanie Ho. It features key voices from the protests, community members, and passionate young environmental justice advocates of today.
Our Movement Starts Here |
In this 2018 documentary by Michael Pearce, learn just how Warren County residents became environmental justice and community advocates.
Warren County: Birth of a Movement |
Focusing on Reverend William “Bill” Kearney, this 2012 documentary, created by both Pavithra Vasudevan and Rev. Kearney, tells the story of the legacy of environmental justice and stewardship ready to be reclaimed.
Remembering Kearneytown |