PHOTO/STEPHEN SMITH
MINDEN, WEST VIRGINIA — On June 8, over 150 Minden residents and allies from all over West Virginia and six surrounding states marched to bring awareness to the long-term impacts of PCB exposure. They took to the streets to memorialize the Minden residents who they believe lost their lives to PCBs, to support those who are currently suffering from PCB-related illnesses and to pay tribute to the activism that first brought attention to toxic dumping in Minden in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
The march was a 30th anniversary historical reenactment of an event in 1989, when Concerned Citizens for Fayette County organized a march to demand that the government provide clean up and relocation for Minden residents. Meeting a goal that was made by those same marchers decades ago, Minden was recently added to the National Priorities List of Superfund sites. The EPA’s National Priorities List is reserved for the most toxic sites in the U.S. Placement on the list gives Minden more access to funds for testing, clean up, and potentially, for relocation.
The Minden Community Action Team has three major demands. First, members demand that those who wish to leave receive government support for relocation. In addition, the group believes it is essential that past and present residents should have access to specialized healthcare for those who have been exposed to PCBs and other chemicals. The group also is demanding a thorough cleanup and decision making power for those who may choose to stay after the community is relocated.
As Jean Evansmore stated about the marchers who travelled many hours to stand in solidarity with Minden, “People realize that this issue affects all of us because we’re all humans who want to put an end to suffering. If it’s hurting you, I don’t care where you live . . . it’s hurting me.”
Thinking of those organizers decades ago, Percy Fruit reflected, “My thanks goes out to Lucian Randall, Larry Rose and John David, who started out a quest to make a wrong right. So many lives have been lost to cancer. Thank you pioneers . . . the fight will continue.”
Sixteen year-old Marcayla King expressed her desire to see justice for Minden residents. “Even with the death tolls rising, with family and neighbors getting sick, we’ve been told that it’s safe and there’s nothing to worry about. The only solution is to relocate so people have an opportunity [for] a better quality of life.”
Kimberly Duncan spoke about the loss, grief and illness PCBs have inflicted on her body and the lives of family members. “Our kids used to play in mines where they didn’t know the PCBs were dumped. I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2007. I went from being an independent person to needing help with everything.” Reflecting on the activists of the 80’s and 90’s, Kimberly noted, “The women who marched then were called hysterical housewives. But those women were right.”
While residents and allies grieve for the lives that have been taken by PCBs, they continue to have faith in the power of community as an instrument for hope, change, and justice. Remarking on Minden’s placement on the NPL list, Lois Gibbs said of the Minden Community Action Team, “You might not have had a perfect victory, but you have power, and you are a force to be reckoned with.”
The article would be more effective if a deeper explanation of what PCBs are and how they got there was included. Not everyone from outside of the area knows the details about the contaminates.