Environmental Justice Case Study: Toxic Contamination at the DDDMT

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 Above image taken from MapQuest, 1999.

The Problem

 The Defense Distribution Depot of Memphis, Tennessee (DDDMT) has been a site of toxic contamination for almost 50 years. Tests show soil and groundwater beneath the depot to be tainted with chemicals that include potentially cancer-causing trichloroethylene, carbon tetrachloride, and toxic metals. This contamination comes from the use of pesticides, solvents, fuels, and other hazardous compounds. Officials believe the contamination is restricted to a shallow aquifer, but are concerned that it could move into the deeper Memphis Sand aquifer that supplies the city's water. A community organization has formed from the all-Black community surrounding the DDDMT called the Defense Depot of Memphis, Tennessee, Concerned Citizens Committee (DDMT-CCC). They believe the contamination has spread into the community and is posing significant health threats to its residents. The military is responsible for cleaning up these toxins and are making no effort towards a possible solution. No one seems to be taking responsibility for the contamination of workers while the DDDMT was in operation or the contamination of residents in nearby communities.

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Background

 1942
Depot operated by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers as a storage and maintenance site for the army's engineer, chemical, and quartermaster corps.

1954-1970s
Toxic substances handled in a building at the depot

Feb. 7, 1992
DDDMT proposed to be on the EPA's National Priority List (NPL). The site would be eligible for long-term remedial action financed by the Superfund.

Oct. 14, 1992
DDDMT was one of seven federal facility sites added to the NPL. As of this date, work had been completed on 5% of the sites put on the list and three fourths of the 1,208 sites on the list were only in early stages of cleanup.

Nov. 24, 1993
A Pentagon report lists the DDDMT as one of many defense installations that may contain chemical weapons or chemical warfare contamination. The wastes may be in more than one location at the facility.

June 1995
DDDMT voted to be closed down. The depot acted mainly as a warehousing function. It also provided support during the Gulf War and supplied body bags for victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. Depot has to be closed within five years by law. The city will get first chance at aquriring the 642 acres and 28 miles of paved streets at the depot. Half of the 1,367 lost jobs will be relocated to other depots. 80% of the workers are African-American, closing the plant may increase unemployment in Memphis from 9% to 9.6%.

Oct. 1995
Defense Depot of Memphis, Tennessee, Concerned Citizens Committee (DDMT-CCC) formed.

Dec. 19, 1995
City counsel approved Mayor W.W. Herenton's 8 nominees and 2 advisory members for the Memphis Depot Redevelopment Agency.

Sept. 28, 1997
DDDM officially closed

Mar. 25, 1997
Commissioners approved the Memphis Depot Redevelopment Plan. The plan will reuse the 642 acre DDDM property for light industrial operations and public property service.

Jan. 1998
2 sites identified in a new $302 mil., 22 year master plan for the Memphis Park system.(50 acres on southeast corner of depot and 38 acres on northeast corner of depot)

March 1998
Residents see neighbors stricken with cancer. Concerns mount about long-ago waste-disposal practices. The health department performs a community survey about "what they know and what they want to know". Officials attend meetings of neighborhood associations and incorporate those findings into the survey. Once survey results are compiled, environmental health education opportunities can be created to deal with the issues of greatest interest to residents.

August 1998
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Solid Waste Management proposes to terminate the container storage portion of the hazardous waste permit for the United States Department of Defense (DOD) Logistics agency, DDDM. The operational portion of the permit was for a proposed hazardous waste container storage area, which was never constructed.

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Key Actors

Defense Depot of Memphis, Tennessee, Concerned Citizens Committee (DDDMT-CCC):

About 500 members, Doris and Kenneth Bradshaw are principal organizers. Organized after realizing the threat the DDDM posed to their community. Believe what the government has done and is doing to handle the situation at the DDDM constitutes environmental racism.

U.S Department of Defense Logistics Agency (DLA):

Responsible for all contamination and necessary cleanup of contamination at site. Refuses to contribute anywhere near the amount of funding necessary for cleaning up the DDDM. Have done a few cleanups on the site because, "there are too many environmental groups not to do anything." They believe there is no proof to link the contamination of surrounding areas to the activities of the DDDMT. Their argument is that contamination could come from factories, oil from car repair places nearby, or the airport.

City council:

Decides if the city will develop at the DDDMT. Member Janet Hooks said the city would not take title of depot property until it is clean and safe.

Memphis Depot Redevelopment Agency:

Developed a plan for the civilian use of the DDDM. The members are; Janet Hooks, Olivia Dobbins, Joe Emison, Albert Crawford, Azzie Haris, Christina Munson, Steven Yukel, and Michael Kennedy. Members of the advisory committee are Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) and Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).

Health Department:

Conducted a survey of area residents to gauge level of knowledge and concern about the environment. The results of this study have not been determined.

State Officials:

Do not believe there is "any current significant health risk associated with the depot," said Jordon English, Memphis field office manager for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation's division of Superfund.

Metropolitan Interface Association (MIFA):

Runs the low-income housing project on the DDDMT property. This facility houses expecting mothers and many children.

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers:

This agency conducted on site investigations of the toxic and dangerous substances at the DDDMT. They also installed monitoring wells to determine groundwater contamination. Contracted for a groundwater extraction system at the site.

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Demographics

Zip Code Demographics (zip code of the DDDMT is 38114)
Courtesy of the Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce

Population:
1980- 44,614
1990- 38,708
1998- 35,025
2003- 33,471

% Growth from 1990 to 1998: -9.51

Median HH Income: $19,786

1998 Race %:
white- 2.27%
black- 97.54%
other- 0.19%

Before closure of the DDDMT 80% of the workers were African American

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Strategies Used

 The DDDMT-CCC has not been successful at any lawsuits they have attempted. Kenneth Bradshaw (member of DDDMT-CCC) believes this lack of success is due to racism within the system. He states knowledge of cases similar to theirs that have been won by white environmental groups. State and federal agencies have made efforts to listen to what the public has to say, but these only seem to be efforts to improve public relations. They have not really done anything to meet the demands of the DDDMT-CCC. Gaining media recognition of this issue has been the most successful strategy used to encourage the cleanup of contaminated areas.

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Solutions

 A few on site cleanups have been performed at the DDDMT. Wells have been installed by the U.S Army Corp of Engineers to intercept the groundwater contamination that has occurred at the DDDMT. A cleanup has been done of an area on the depot property that contained a MIFA housing project. Two underground storage tanks (diesel and gasoline) have been removed from the Depot's former gas station. Dieldrin, a pesticide, at the site was 4,000 ppm (20x higher than the level EPA considers it hazardous). This and lead poisoning at the site brought outside pressure from the DDDMT- CCC. The DLA cleaned this mess up, but still is doing nothing to clean contamination outside the depot property. The DLA says there is nothing proven to indicate the DDDMT's activities have affected the outside community.

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Recommendations

 The DDDMT-CCC should continue to utilize their resources as best as possible. Perhaps they should work on gathering evidence to build up a case for the necessity for a cleanup in the area surrounding the Depot. However, this could be beyond the scope of their organization. The greatest success in this case has been due to public concern resulting from increased media coverage. If more effort could be made specifically to increase the concern and awareness of this issue amongst the general public the DDDMT-CCC could experience an increase its power to influence decision-making.

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Contact Person/Information Sources

 For more information regarding this case study, or if you would like to remain updated, participate, or become involved in this environmental struggle, you can contact :

The DDDMT-CCC:
Doris or Kenneth Bradshaw
1454 East Mallory
Memphis, TN. 38106
Tel: (901)-942-0329

The Memphis Depot Community Relations Office:
2163 Airways Blvd.
Memphis, TN 38114-5210
Tel: (901)-544-0613 Fax: (901)-544-0639
Email: HYPERLINK mailto:comrel@dmtz3.ddmt.dla.mil

Memphis Area Chamber of Commerce:
P.O. Box 224
Memphis, TN 38101-0224
Tel: (901)-543-3500

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