***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Contact: Anthony Paciorek
810-308-1359
Coalition Delivers Petitions To Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Nessel to Stop Ajax Asphalt
Flint residents demand clean air, end to environmental racism
LANSING, MI – Flint residents deliver petitions demanding that the State of Michigan deny the Ajax Materials Corporation’s request for an air quality permit that would allow the company to build a new asphalt plant across the street from the largest low-income public housing complex in Flint, MI. Coalition members came in funeral apparel and delivered coffins decorated in Ajax company colors, with petitions signed by nearly 4,000 Flint residents demanding that the permit be denied on October 28th. Coalition members spoke outside the offices and delivered a powerful message along with the petition and coffin.
“As thousands of petition signers attest, Whitmer’s policy to ‘fix the damn roads’ is bringing more life-threatening pollution to Flint. The Ajax plant must not be built near thousands of vulnerable Flint families!” said Mona Munroe-Younis of the Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint.
“Governor Whitmer needs to be aware that she can and must prevent another environmental justice crisis that will predominantly impact thousands of Black residents in Flint,” said Elena Bond with Michigan Poor People’s Campaign.
“It’s shameful for Governor Whitmer to say she would be here for this community after the lead crisis and then allow this to happen. When a plant goes into your neighborhood, it affects the air in a three-mile radius, giving residents asthma, cancer and other breathing problems” said Judy Alexander with the Michigan Poor People’s Campaign.
“Flint is in two ongoing crises, the Flint Water Crisis & COVID-19. We’re not going to let our city be affected by an Ajax air pollution crisis too,” said Lashaya Darisaw – Michigan United Volunteer, Community Organizer.
“The Governor ran her campaign on fixing the damn roads, but it should not be at the expense of Black lives. The Governor said she would be here for Flint. We’re holding her accountable to that.” Anthony Paciorek, Environmental Justice Organizer, Michigan United.
###
The Coalition to Stop Ajax Asphalt Plant includes C.A.U.T.I.O.N, Environmental Transformation Movement of Flint, Flint Rising, Greater Holy Temple Church, Michigan United, Michigan Poor People’s Campaign, and the R. L. Jones Community Outreach Center Campus.
Petitions cited above can be found at https://bit.ly/stop-ajax-we-deserve-justice and https://bit.ly/stop-ajax-before-its-too-late.