Abstract Summary/Description
The Tift Site (GA HSI #10393), situated in East Point, Georgia, embodies a pressing environmental justice issue that has persisted since 1995. This abandoned industrial site is contaminated with twenty-one hazardous substances in both soil and groundwater, posing significant health risks to the local ecosystem and surrounding community. A particularly alarming indicator of this contamination is the visible blue discoloration of the South River's headwaters, which might indicate direct pollution flowing from the Tift Site. The affected community, primarily consisting of people of color, bears an inequitable burden of these environmental hazards. We initiated a Community Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) approach in response to decades of regulatory neglect. This methodology emphasizes the importance of engaging and educating community members about the risks associated with contamination and advocating for necessary remediation efforts. Our project fosters collaborative partnerships among local leaders, geoscientists, and environmental organizations to collectively tackle the contamination issues impacting the South River. As part of our efforts, we conducted water and sediment sampling with community members to monitor the migration of contaminants within the South River watershed. Preliminary analysis of heavy metals and metalloid concentrations in both water and sediments reveals that elevated levels are present near the Tift Site, decreasing progressively as one moves downstream from this hazardous waste area. This data underscores the urgent need for remediation and community support to address the environmental injustices faced by local residents in Eastpoint
