May 13·19, 1 MICHIGAN CITIZE P 11
Church asks EPA to study pollution impact on poor, Black
CLEVELAND - The church
office that conducted landmark
research on toxic waste in ra ..
cial/ethnic communities ha
called on the Environmental
Protection Agency to carry out
its own study on the subject.
Meeting in Cleveland last
weekend, the commissioners of
the Unit d Church of Christ's
Commi ion for Racial Justice
oted "full upport" for a
ropo al that the EPA ask the
ational Ac demy of Sciences
to conduct a study on the "ef­
fects of environmental pollu­
tion on minorities and
low-income population in 'the
United States."
Introduced by Rep. John
·Conyers (D-MI), the propo al
i an amendment to a congres­
sional bill to elevate the EPA
to cabinet-level 'status, also
backed by the national church
agency.
The Commi ion is author
of a study rclea ed in 1987 on
"Toxic Waste" nd Race in the
U.S."
Tin: STUDY OU D that
race. ev n more than poverty,
correlate with the placem nt
of toxic i ttl". The more ra­
cral/cthnic people. the more
toxic w ste ues. Three-fifths
of African-American and
Hi panic" and on -half of
Pa ific- and Asian-Americans
and ative Americans live in
ar a with toxic ite
The bill with amendment al­
ready ha been p ssed by the
House r Repre ernatives. The
Cornrru sion for Racial Ju nee
ha 0 ri ucn to II enator to
a . for their upport.
In other bu ine • the Com­
mrs .ion a ked exc utive direc­
tor the Rev. Dr. Benjamin F.
ChaVIS. Jr. and United Church
president the Rev. Dr. Paul H.
Sherry to arrangc for a delega­
tion of denominational leaders
to travel to Wi con In in up­
port of ativc American treaty
right: thcrc.
Tensions ha c been high be­
t een whucs and Indian in
th northern part of the state.
a In many parts of the U.S .•
ar und the quesuon of whether
treaty right "till hould be
bindin .
Ri ht-wing group are fan­
ning th co tensions. the Com­
mi ion point out. with
rhetoric maintaining that In­
dians are gelling rich while
whites 10 e homes and proper­
ty a re ult of treatie . Major
corporations dealing with
mi n ral re ource also have a
take in heth r treaty rights
are repealed. th Commission
adds.
THE CHURCH BODY is
worri d about violence during
the spring as the Chippewa In­
dians carry out their traditional
practice of speari ng fish an
o ': their ceded land'. Last year.
. nti-Indi n demon traiors in
Wi consin carried signs read­
ing "Spear n Indian. Save a
Fi h." and they have threatened
to stop the fi hing this year.
The commi sioners also
called upon the entire United
Church of Christ to increase
education and action around
Native American treaty rights
and other issues impacting
American Indians.
In other business, the com­
missioners:
- Urged United Church
members. to work for and the
House of Representatives to
pass the Americans With Dis­
abilities Act, noting that racial
and ethinic person are more
likely than Anglo to become
disabled "due to poor nutrition.
poor hou ing, poor 'wor ing
condition", poor health care
and other manifestations of
poverty and racial discrimina­
,:on." The bill. already passed
by the Senate, would protect
persons wi th di abilitie from
discrimination in employment,
educajion, transportation and
commu nications.
- Pre sed for Congress to
pass the Racial Justice Act -
legislation which forbids the
"use of the death penalty in a
racially discriminatory pat­
tern." Not onJ y is the death
penally wrong, constituting
"cruel and unusual treatment";
there is an "unmistakable pat­
tern of racial bias" in decisions
to impose it, the commis­
sioners feel.
- Expres ed solidarity with
Albert "Bo" Faison, a 19-year­
old African American student
at Western Branch High
School in Virginia. Faison was
subjected to racial slurs nd
then severly beaten at an out­
door party on Apr. 14 by white
youth whom he said were not
from his chool.
- Asked Chavis to "per­
sonally deliver" an Earth Day
"me sage of solidarity" to
demonstrators between Baton
Rouge and New Orleans. La.
protesti ng toxic pollution in
the area. Some marchers have
been beaten by police In St.
John Parish th reo
we
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