Steve Glass posted an excellent blog, with photos by David Thompson, about the social and environmental injustices related to the ongoing Verona Road Interchange reconstruction project.
Several years ago, MEJO was asked by people in the Allied-Dunn’s Marsh neighborhoods to help address the potential environmental health impacts from this huge construction project and the air, noise, and water pollution resulting from the increased traffic after the interchange is built. We wrote these comments to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). Sadly, the communities’ and MEJO’s questions and concerns about health effects from this project were largely dismissed by WisDOT and other local and state agencies. See our 2010 commentary here.
Now, several years later, Mr. Glass’s blog reveals that environmental justice in this already very challenged and underserved neighborhood continues to be a low priority here in Madison. Apparently even the most basic steps to control runoff and toxic air particulates from construction aren’t being implemented, and it seems local and state authorities responsible for enforcing construction runoff regulations are looking the other way.
This is sad. If this pollution was happening in a privileged Madison neighborhood, would it be ignored? We suspect not.
