Stop Polluting the Eastside

Open Letter to Members of City Council

Opposition to Permitting Eastside Fuel Storage Tanks

Southwest Workers Union calls on City Leaders and the community to protect the health and families of east side residents and uphold environmental justice. The proposal to build two new million gallon tanks for fuel furthering jeopardizes the health and safety of a community already burdened by toxic pipelines, fuel storage tank farms, diesel trucks, deadly Union Pacific tracks and numerous industrial sites.

Environmental Racism describes the reality that hazardous waste dumps, polluting industries and military installations are disproportionately sited in low-income and people of color communities. The cumulative effects of multiple sources of contamination in these neighborhoods continue to damage our environment and health. The east side residents not only suffers from the disproportionate citing of 60% of the fuel storage tanks in the City of San Antonio, but also is burdened by: 4 major 18 wheeler truck stops, CPS maintenance yard, SAWS maintenance yard, Industrial iron works centers, BFI solid waste dump, coal-burning power plant and Aztec ceramic tile facility.

The unfortunately reality across San Antonio and the state of Texas is that there are few regulations of fuel storage tanks despite the hazards they pose to community health. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that nearly one out of every four fuel storage tanks leak, releasing dangerous carcinogens like benzene, toluene and xylene into the water and soil, causing headaches, nausea, respiratory problems and various cancer. Toxic fumes from tank are associated with chronic respiratory problems. In the zip code 78219, the proposed Redifuel storage tank site area, there are already (according to industry reported EPA data) over 400,000 lbs per year of toxic stationary air emissions (not including releases from vehicles or trucks from the 3 nearby highways) and over 733,000 pound per year of waste managed chemicals. If these chemicals were colored, a huge opaque cloud would permeate through the eastside community.

Southwest Workers Union demands:

• City Council deny the re-zoning permit from the I1 to the I2 designation
• An Emergency Evacuation Plan & Emergency Notification System for the communities and schools to be designed and implemented immediately to insure the health and safety of our families.
• Public disclosure of hazardous waste and pollution at public meetings.
• Zoning laws that allow polluting industries to be located across the street from homes and schools need to be addressed and amended to protect the safety of the communities first.
• Strict enforcement of environmental standards and safety regulations
• Establish a fund to support community improvement projects and landscape areas adjacent to industrial sites
• Adopt the Principles of Environmental Justice