Members of the Flint, Michigan community came together over the weekend to protest plans to build an asphalt plant in the city.
According to local reports, Flint residents held a vigil for the “death of clean air” to publicly voice their opposition and say the asphalt plant would only make air quality in the community worse.
Community organizer Lashaya Darisaw told KESQ residents are pushing for the state to wait on making a decision on granting the air permit for the AJAX Asphalt Plant.
“I’m hoping that they extend the permit decision once again,” Darisaw said. With the permit, the plant would be erected in Genesee County, the county seat of the city of Flint –– which has already had a years-long battle for clean water.
A federal judge just last week approved a multi-million dollar settlement with residents impacted by the led-contaminated water, residents like Darisaw say a new generation of children would be negatively effected by the plant.
“These children have already been through enough with the Flint water crisis, and then getting a settlement only to be exposed to radiation poisoning. And no, we’re telling them that on top of the health concerns that they already have, because remember there’s already an incinerator there, that they’re going to have more impact,” Darisaw explained.
Residents are calling on Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to step in and block the plant from being built.
“What we don’t want to do is have another environmental crisis with another governor stepping back and having silence on the issue like Gov. [Rick] Snyder did here in Flint,” Darisaw said. Snyder was among several state officials charged in the water crisis.
The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy is expected to make an announcement about the issue on Monday (November 15).
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