A Toxic Legacy: Douglass Park Residents in Their Own Words

For people living in the Douglass Park neighborhood, the vacant lot at 5th and Hill has a distinctively toxic legacy. People with a connection to the neighborhood have long suspected that the site was a source of problems. As they have come to lean more about the site’s history, they have found it difficult to get answers from Ameren, the company responsible for the site. For many residents, the absence of a meaningful community relations program from Ameren or its predecessor Illinois Power is a part of the site’s toxic legacy. So are the health concerns, such as several reports of cancer, that have arisen based on the shared experiences among neighbors.

That’s why many neighbors have formed a coalition with C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice and Champaign County Heath Care Consumers to form the 5th and hill Neighborhood Rights Campaign. This coalition also involves U of I students who have formed the C-U Political Action Project and conducted systematic study asking residents a series of questions. These are some of their responses in their own words:

Alvia Dyson, Douglass Park Resident

1. When did you first become aware of the situation with the 5th and Hill Site?

Last year I saw Ameren trucks and stuff digging holes over there; taking dirt out and replacing dirt. That was around 2006. I didn’t know what’s going on until [CUCPJ and CCHCC] started going around letting people know what is going on over there on that site.

2. How would evaluate the efforts of Ameren and its predecessor company, Illinois Power, when it comes to informing the neighborhood? Do you feel the companies have done a good job helping people become informed over the years? Do you think there is anything they could or should have done differently?

Poorly, very poorly. They ain’t done nothing and they should have told us something when they started digging over there. They should have let everybody know. I’m sitting on my porch watching them do things over there. They should have came over while I’m sitting there watching them and let me know what’s going on and why they were doing whatever they were doing. They should have let everyone know in this neighborhood what’s going on over there at that site.

3. What concerns do you have about how the site may have affected people over the years? What concerns, if any, do you have about living near the site today?

I’m afraid that anybody could get cancer and they’re not telling nobody. They’re not explaining things or sending information out about that site, and about what people can do get help if they need it.

4. You’re part of the coalition between people in the Douglass Park Neighborhood, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, and Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Some have argued that the coalition is about the concerns of people outside the neighborhood, rather than about the concerns of people in the neighborhood. What is your reaction to that?

You all are outsiders, …[but the people who] own the site don’t let us know what’s going on… It’s the “outsiders” that have come out to let us know what is going on. [Contamination from the site] is under my house, and I didn’t know it was under my house till you came out and told me. So [the coalition] is excellent, but I’d like to see everybody [in the neighborhood] pull together more to fight this thing and get everything going.

5. What successes has the coalition had so far? What still needs to be addressed?

Ya’ll excellent. Ya’ll get the info [and you’ll] come back and knock on our doors. It’s the first anyone’s come out to let people know what’s going on. But a lot still needs to addressed. Ameren is still not cooperating [and]… Ameren needs to step up and admit they were wrong.

6. After the site gets cleaned up to the greatest extent possible, what would like to see done with space at 5th and Hill?

I would like so see something nice, like a grocery store. To me, economic development means working with the people. Come and talk to the people, even if you have to go door by door… That’s what economic development means, working with the people not just putting things in there… Help the people in a low income neighborhood build their self esteem up, show them that they are worth it. Put a business in here that can make a difference in a life. Give the people a chance, trust them to be somebody—then you will see.

M.D Pelmore, Douglass Park Resident

1. When did you first become aware of the situation with the 5th and Hill Site?

When [CUCPJ and CCHCC] mentioned it to us – told us about it, passed out pamphlets, set up a meeting with us [at Douglass Center]… [Ameren] never mentioned anything about that. No letters. No mail. Nothing.

2. How would evaluate the efforts of Ameren and its predecessor company, Illinois Power, when it comes to informing the neighborhood? Do you feel the companies have done a good job helping people become informed over the years? Do you think there is anything they could or should have done differently?

Poor. Not very good at all. They did have a meeting, but that was not very informative to me. They sort of said this is not important or this is not dangerous and all that kind of stuff. Now, you know all this stuff can be dangerous so it wasn’t very helpful at all… [Ameren and Illinois Power] could have [done things differently]. They knew about this stuff when they first pulled out of there a long time ago, and they should have took care of it then. And they should have either sent everybody letters or even had it on the news and all that kind of stuff – T.V.—and then everybody would have been aware of it.

3. What concerns do you have about how the site may have affected people over the years? What concerns, if any, do you have about living near the site today?

My concern is that is it isn’t healthy to live in this area anymore. And, you don’t know how dangerous it really is. We might be still breathing some of that stuff…I’m concerned about what could have happened to people [over the years]. They didn’t know what’s going on. And it could have affected them, you know. Some people’s immune system is higher than others. Some of their immune systems might have been low and could have had a very hard effect of them.

4. You’re part of the coalition between people in the Douglass Park Neighborhood, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, and Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Some have argued that the coalition is about the concerns of people outside the neighborhood, rather than about the concerns of people in the neighborhood. What is your reaction to that?

Well, I think that if they hadn’t sort of told us about it then they wouldn’t have been concerned about the people in this area. And when they told us about it then we are aware of it and it just shows that they care about the people that are in this area.

5. What successes has the coalition had so far? What still needs to be addressed?

Well, they made us aware of it. Ameren is now aware that we know and the cat’s out of the bag, you know. It’s just as simple as that.

6. After the site gets cleaned up to the greatest extent possible, what would like to see done with space at 5th and Hill?

Not that I can think of right now…but when the time comes, I would like to see people [in the neighborhood] get some input.

Carol Dorsey, Douglass Park Resident

1. When did you first become aware of the situation with the 5th and Hill Site?

Back in December…The only things I know [about the site] is from when [someone from the coalition] came by. That was the first I had heard of it.

2. How would evaluate the efforts of Ameren and its predecessor company, Illinois Power, when it comes to informing the neighborhood? Do you feel the companies have done a good job helping people become informed over the years? Do you think there is anything they could or should have done differently?

Seems like they should have let everybody know, everyone about the site. They still haven’t contacted me about it. 3. What concerns do you have about how the site may have affected people over the years? What concerns, if any, do you have about living near the site today? It’s kind of scary, living close to that site. You hear all that could be going on with your body. I ain’t no young thing no more you know?

4. You’re part of the coalition between people in the Douglass Park Neighborhood, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, and Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Some have argued that the coalition is about the concerns of people outside the neighborhood, rather than about the concerns of people in the neighborhood. What is your reaction to that?

I do think it’s good that somebody is working on this. I’m someone who’s concerned about this, and yes I believe that others are too.

5. What successes has the coalition had so far? What still needs to be addressed?

We just need to keep on them. I’m glad that ya’ll came up with this you know cause we wouldn’t have known nothing about it so I appreciate it that ya’ll getting involved.

6. After the site gets cleaned up to the greatest extent possible, what would like to see done with space at 5th and Hill?

I can’t think of nothing, but I would like to see neighborhood input if something is done.

Kenyatta Chambers, Douglass Park Resident

1. When did you first become aware of the situation with the 5th and Hill Site?

I had heard something about the toxic site, um, probably I’d say about a few years before I moved back to Champaign from Wisconsin. My mother had called me and she was talking about the American Legion that was there, and that they all of a sudden had to move. And she was saying that there were some concerns about the, the dirt, the land over there. So I would say about ten fifteen years ago. When [CUCPJ and CCHCC] started coming around, that’s when first started to get direct information.

2. How would evaluate the efforts of Ameren and its predecessor company, Illinois Power, when it comes to informing the neighborhood? Do you feel the companies have done a good job helping people become informed over the years? Do you think there is anything they could or should have done differently?

There was no information, at all, that I know of, since I’ve been back, until after you guys started coming around, and kind of made the public aware of the possibility of the toxic situation. I don’t think the company has done a very good job with getting information out. Information and communication would’ve been the best thing.

3. What concerns do you have about how the site may have affected people over the years? What concerns, if any, do you have about living near the site today?

Well, from what I’m hearing, it could cause cancer and rare diseases in, in people, and I’m one to say that, growing up in this neighborhood, I have been hearing of rare cancers that I had never heard of…my mother being my biggest concern, ‘cause I had never heard of multiple myeloma until her case. After her case, I started hearing more about it; people having it. But when I first started researching, when I found out she had that type of cancer, I researched a little bit, and was told that it was a rare cancer, but it’s become more widespread now. So that tells me right there that there’s something in - even if it’s not just that site, water, or other sites too. We also had a neighbor that was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. My grandfather was diagnosed with leukemia.

4. You’re part of the coalition between people in the Douglass Park Neighborhood, C-U Citizens for Peace and Justice, and Champaign County Health Care Consumers. Some have argued that the coalition is about the concerns of people outside the neighborhood, rather than about the concerns of people in the neighborhood. What is your reaction to that?

Well, I’m concerned. I live in the neighborhood and I mean, why would anybody outside the neighborhood be concerned unless they’re just trying to inform us? So by their informing us of this, it should make all of us concerned. You know, this was something we weren’t aware of.

5. What successes has the coalition had so far? What still needs to be addressed?

Getting the public awareness of it. The possibility that it could be causing these diseases. That’s success. But I’d like to see more research done, more clean-up over there, more information from Ameren. I would also like to learn more about things that we could do to help ourselves. My family, you know, my mother, she could get some kind of help [with her cancer]. My mother’s been going through this for five years, and it’s been frustrating. My other concern is that if I get sick who’s gonna help me?

6. After the site gets cleaned up to the greatest extent possible, what would like to see done with space at 5th and Hill?

I’m not sure what I would like to see there, maybe a park [if the site can be made clean enough]. There’s a women’s place nearby, and they might like that. They have a small playground, but park might be nice. It would be nice to put some pretty flowers there, and a bigger space for the children to come, and for the women to come with their children and play. I’m not too keen about commercial development, but I would like to see input from the neighborhood after the site gets cleaned up.