SMART GROWTH

Smart-Growth Environmental Injustice In South Carolina

South Carolina’s new Smart-Growth plan is putting black farmland off-limits to development in the name of helping the environment and fighting suburban sprawl. Joe Neal, a black Baptist minister, a Democratic state representative and chairman of South Carolina's Legislative Black Caucus objects to being told that he cannot sell some of his 92 acres outside of Columbia, South Carolina.  He believes that blacks deserve whatever the market will bear should he decide to sell.  He believes that the smart growth initiative is a “taking” that restricts landowners from benefiting from their land.

Smart Growth encompasses a series of land-use restrictions pushed by environmental groups, urban planners and politicians to halt the spread of the suburbs into the countryside.  The proliferation of smart-growth plans has pitted the state chapter of the Rev. Jesse Jackson's Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and a local National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) chapter against the South Carolina Sierra Club and other state environmental groups. . Environmentalist schemes to limit growth inevitably will put the brakes on black prosperity.  The tragedy for blacks is that many families have owned their property for more than 100 years, are descendants of slaves and sharecroppers and now may not have the opportunity to benefit from their hard earned land.

Counties derived their authority to pass smart-growth plans from a state law passed in 1994 called the Local Government Comprehensive Planning Enabling Act, which required counties with zoning codes to enact comprehensive plans to guide future growth and development.  The plan, adopted by the Democrat-controlled Richland County Council, designates almost all of the county's prime farmland, mature-forest land and land near water as "preservation areas" that can't be developed. To keep the growing metropolitan area of Columbia from spreading out farther into the country, it directs growth toward high-density "villages" that mix homes, schools and businesses, reflecting the "New Urbanism" style of neighborhoods now popular with many city planners.

The comprehensive plan should respect the existing culture and traditions of a people, and if family compounds are part of that tradition, then the comprehensive plan should make a provision for it.

Land represents wealth and potential wealth. When you take that from us, when you take wealth and potential wealth from these people, then you've robbed them of everything that they've slaved and labored for all those years, which is the promise that somewhere down the road, this property might produce wealth. State and county governments are pursuing conservation and antisprawl at the cost of this minority population who historically has been denied the opportunity to accumulate wealth and who reaches a point where, now, all that they've worked for is being devalued and they're being denied another opportunity to have wealth.

Many black rural landowners can't farm, not because they don't want to, but because of the competition of corporate farms. They can't make a profit. Now they are out of farming and no longer have a right to make any profit on the little land that they managed to retain.  Since banks look at the most valuable uses of land should they have to foreclose, putting farmland off-limits to development reduces farmers' borrowing power. Also, the plan says it will keep land from being subdivided by "downzoning” the land to require large lot sizes for a house to be built on. The plan doesn't specify a number, but communities with smart-growth plans have put limits as high as one house per 40 acres.

Some blacks subdivide land not for development but so that their children can have their own homes on the family land. Some blacks that have moved away intend to come back to Lower Richland prior to retirement and build homes.  With the present plan, it's going to limit how much can be built on a parcel of land.  Churches might not be able to expand because the 18 acres of undeveloped land it owns may now be considered "green space."

Source: Insight Online (John Berlau)

Spindale, North Carolina Illegal Dumping

Dear Mr. McDonald,

In Spindale, NC there is the case of a coverup of violation of the Clean Air
Act. Department Head Mike Brooks has been secretly burning solid waste for
at least a year and maybe more. An anonymous complaint was filed with NC Div
of Air Quality. The state allowed a secret cleanup of the site. When the
"investigator" showed up 8 days after informing the town of the complaint,
the investigator didn't even look at the site because the department head
was "having a bad day". The State told Mayor Jack W. Metcalf that they did
not take the complaint seriously because it was anonymous. What about
whistleblowing? Little did the town know that an anonymous citizen also
documented the burning with pictures. The town board of Spindale, NC has
taken no action about the burning even after they have been shown the
pictures and evidence by me at a recent town board meeting. Not one of the
board members even showed up to view the evidence at a special called
meeting to discuss the issue. Apathy at its finest. Now the town department
head has "cleaned up the site". Evidence has been removed. If not for the
brave citizen, there would be no proof of the burning. Burning releases
about 6 truly toxic chemicals including dioxins which were one of the main
ingredients found in Agent Orange and found at Love Canal. In the end we
have lying, coverup, apathy by the government, employees who were forced to
work over and breathe in this stuff. Hundreds if not thousands may develop
cancer because of this blatant and willful violation of the law. I think it
would be an amazing story to do.

This pollution took place less than 1/4 of a mile from a predominantly black
community.  They have not been told about what they have been exposed to.

You can find source documents and pictures at www.spindalerevealed.com

Info about hazards of burning can be found at EPA here.
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/non-hw/muncpl/backyard/health.htm

Thank you for your time.

If you have any questions, please reply.  I will get back to you as soon as
possible.

Congressman James E. Clyburn Seeks Bridge Connector

To Save An Economically Threatened Black Community

When Lake Marion was created by damming the Santee River 50 years ago,  black communities in Calhoun and Clarendon Counties were isolated from the larger community.  The creation of Lake Marion by damming the Santee River fulfilled its mission of creating jobs and providing electric power.  Officials at the time of President Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era Works Progress Administration, promised the cut off black community a bridge to reconnect them to other neighborhoods. Unfortunately, this never happened and now local environmentalists, showing more concern for herons than humans, are preventing such a connector from being built.  The Clyburn Connector will connect State Highway 120 in Sumter and Clarendon Counties and State Highway 33 in Orangeburg and Calhoun Counties.

Congressman Clyburn

 Lake Marion, named for General Francis Marion, is about 40 miles Southeast of Columbia, SC.  Congressman Clyburn (D-6SC) has been working diligently for years to get a bridge built for these isolated black communities.  A bridge connector will stimulate economic development projects and will lead to environmental enhancements in the region.  The 50 year isolation of the community and the failure to build the promised bridge across northern Lake Marion have kept the local black communities economically and socially depressed.  The Final Environmental Impact Statement on the bridge includes Census data for the communities on both sides of the project.  On the Calhoun County side, there is a black population of 52% with 40% of the residents living below the poverty level.  On the Clarendon County side, African Americans make up 76% of the population and 38% live in poverty.  More than 1,500 residents signed a petition supporting construction of the bridge connector.

The Final Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision (ROD) on the Briggs-DeLaine-Pearson Connector, the so-called 'Clyburn Connector,' found "no significant environmental impact."  The 2.8-mile bridge is projected to cost $83 million, spans the 100-year floodplain and includes an additional 6.8 miles of improvements to existing roadways.  The connector will connect two, 2-lane state highways and will not encroach upon any wildlife areas.

Congressman Clyburn also wants to help the S.C. Department of Natural Resources and Santee Cooper Hydroelectric Facility create the Hickory Top Greentree Reservoir.  Santee Cooper has filed their intent to seek relicensing of the hydroelectric facility (the current license expires in four years).  These issues will be addressed during the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process.  Congressman Clyburn will host a series of public meetings seeking local input in the process.  FERC officials have agreed to participate. 

The Hickory Top Greentree Resservoir would provide a wintering habitat for waterfowl and hopefully reverse the decline of the last 25 years.  Congressman Clyburn's intent is to find ways to restore wildlife habitats that will balance hunting and fishing, clearing debris left from Hurricane Hugo-- which still impedes water flow and access in the swamp and increased water levels in the lake.  This environmentally sound highway project will promote tourism--South Carolina's number one industry, improve access, enhance vegetation and restore Lake Marion to its 1970s status.  It is about providing the infrastructure and environment to attract motels and lodges, restaurants and campgrounds, golf courses and conference retreats. 

Although the connector will not harm the area's environment or threaten its wildlife, environmental opponents are refusing to accept the EIS conclusions and are creating specious claims and obstructionist legal threats.  Environmentalists are using their political, legal and economic might to kill the connector.  This elistist approach is not unusual when it comes to esoteric environmental illusions and real world environmentally friendly economic development in black communities.  Environmentalists have generally fallen into a dogmatic policy rut of opposing all developments projects. Evidently, to them, an egrits afternoon nap is more important than a black childs life. They do not care about poor black folks achieving a decent standard of living.  AAEA will support Congressman Clyburn in building this vital connector. 

Forty Acres And A Mule

Bio-Regional Land Trust

-- The Gullah Geechee People --

The majority of Africans taken from the West Coast of Africa and brought into this country, entered through Sullivan Island (the Ellis Island of African Americans), off the Sea Coast of Charleston South Carolina. A large number of them were brought in to work specifically in the cultivation of rice and indigo along the South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida Costal area, and chosen because of their skills in rice and indigo cultivation. These Africans would later be known as Gullah and Geechee, who lived as Maroons on remote Islands and on the mainland costal areas from Charleston S.C. to the Northern Costal area of Florida. Because Gullah Geechee lived essentially as Maroons, they were able to maintain the greatest carryover of African culture in the United States. The Gullah Geechee have maintained many African traditions, developed their own language and culture (known as Gullah/Geechee). They also practice an ecologically sound way of life, and subsistence, protecting the land and sea.

On January 16, 1865, General William Sherman issued Special Field Order 15, reserving land for African Americans from “Charleston S.C. to the St. John River, thirty miles inland from the ocean, and all the Islands alone the Coast.” This ‘Reservation’ was to be divided up into forty acres plots for families, and they were to be given a mule, for the development of the land, and to bring “Self Sufficiency” to African Americans coming out of Slavery. This area became known as the “Promised Land” of “Forty Acres and a Mule,” and “Sherman’s Reservation.” Unfortunately with the assassination of President Lincoln and a change of Administration, the Reconstruction Policies of Lincoln that would have empowered African Americans living on this land were changed to “Restitution” policies that re-empowered former slave masters instead of empowering recently Freed Men and Women!

Today, the Gullah Geechee People and their Homeland, the Promised Land of Forty Acres and a Mule, are threatened by “Plantation Resort” development, nuclear leakage into ground water from Savannah River Plant, over consumption of aquifer ground water causing corrosion and toxic releases into air, sea water by paper plants that threaten land, language, and culture with over development. What is needed: preservation, conservation, and remediation efforts to protect of the land, language, and culture in this region. Therefore, a ‘Forty Acres and a Mule Bio Regional Office” of the African American Environmentalist Association has been established in Charleston SC to establish a Bio Regional Land Trust that will provide preservation, conservation, and remediation efforts to protect this land, language, and culture, fight Environmental Injustice, and promote Sustainable Development and Permaculture.

D i r e c t o r 's  C o r n e r

Sango Sulaiman Al Mahdi

A founding member of the African American Environmentalist Association --served as the Southeastern Regional Office Director of AAEA, based in Atlanta, Georgia from 1989-1999.

As S.E. Regional Director, I supported Environmental Justice efforts throughout the South, and provided the Sustainable Development “Urban Village Vision” that won Atlanta a 100 Million-Dollar Empowerment Zone Grant.

I worked to protect the Gullah Geechee Homeland/ Promised Land since 1987, when I lived there. My Forty Acres and a Mule work was featured in the Panos Institute publication in 1990, called “We Speak for Ourselves,” in an article called “In Search of Sherman’s Reservation.”

I was also responsible for Reparations becoming a Principal of Environmental Justice at the First People of Color Environmental Justice Summit, and facilitated the “Treaty Against Environmental and Developmental Racism” at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, in Rio De Janeiro in 1991.

Over the last four years, I have focused on becoming a “Spa Therapist,” with cross training in Massage Therapy, Esthetic Skin Care, Spa Body Care, and Trichological Hair and Scalp Care, specializing in Aromatherapy (Essential Oil Therapy), Thalassotherapy (Sea Therapy) Paleotherapy (Earth/Mud Therapy), and Phytotherapy (Plant Therapy). I am also establishing a Spa/Bath and Body Shop in the Charleston area, providing natural or environmentally sound treatments and products. The Office and Spa are dedicated to the Healing of Land Air, Water, and People.