UPDATE: Exhibit E has been added to the documents below. A complaint and request for declaratory relief has also been added, as well as a motion for a temporary restraining order.
Contact: May 31 , 2011
Chris Brook: 919 – 323 – 3380 ext. 113
chrisbrook@southerncoalition.org
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
SCSJ Files Injunction Against Greensboro City Council
GREENSBORO, NC—The Southern Coalition for Social Justice has filed an injunction in Guilford County Superior Court against the Greensboro City Council to prevent it from entering into a contract with a private company for the operation of the White Street Landfill. The council is moving forward with its plan after being warned of its legal obligations by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
Phase III of the White Street Landfill is expected to reach its capacity within the next four years. Since the city intends to enter into a contract for a minimum fifteen years, expanding the landfill and new permits will be required. Future phases would qualify as “new sanitary landfills”; in order to open a new sanitary landfill, the council is required under North Carolina General Statute 160A-325 to consider other sites, hold a public hearing and consider socioeconomic data. So far the council has proceeded in spite of city residents rather than with their support.
“I’m really disappointed with the council. It’s not listening to the citizens,” said Goldie Wells, a leader in Citizens for Economic and Environmental Justice, as well as a former member of the Greensboro City Council from 2005 to 2009. “It’s a betrayal of trust. It changed in 2001, then all the changes in 2006; now to come back 5 years later and change it again, it causes mistrust.”
CEEJ is one of the complainants in the case, along with the League of Women Voters and several residents of the neighborhood near the proposed landfill.
The city has failed to comply with the statute potentially to the detriment of its residents. The council will make a decision with serious costs, in the form of lost tax revenue, property value, environmental and health costs. The issue that will bring the case to court, however, is its failure to make its decision in accordance to state law.
“Other cities are looking at what we’re doing—having meeting for 5-7hours, 15 speakers against and then going forward with the same decision,” said Wells, frustrated with the insistence of the council to reopen the landfill against the protest of area residents. “It’s ridiculous, to tell you the truth.”
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The Southern Coalition for Social Justice is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in August, 2007 in Durham, North Carolina by a multi-disciplinary group, predominantly people of color, who believe that families and communities engaged in social justice struggles need a team of lawyers, social scientists, community organizers and media specialists to support them in their efforts to dismantle structural racism and oppression.
NOTE: Exhibits A-X are available below. Exhibits Y and Z from Waste Industries are available from the Greensboro City website:
Exhibit Y
Exhibit Z
Request for Declaratory Relief
Motion for Temporary Restraining Order
Attached file/s:
Exhibit R 20110526170948532.pdf
Exhibit E.pdf
Exhibit CC 20110527094848833.pdf
Exhibit S 20110526171032859.pdf
Exhibit D 20110526141557710.pdf
Exhibit T 20110526144137861.pdf
Exhibit DD 20110527094931412.pdf
Exhibit U 20110526171201316.pdf
Exhibit F 20110526142025917.pdf
Exhibit V 20110526171256276.pdf
Exhibit FF 20110527095634070.pdf
Exhibit W 20110526174030153.pdf
Exhibit G 20110526142100258.pdf
Exhibit H 20110526142130615.pdf
Exhibit X 20110526181031544.pdf
Exhibit I 20110527103805898.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part1.pdf
Exhibit J 20110526142508604.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part2.pdf
Exhibit K 20110526142534659.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part3.pdf
Exhibit L 20110526142602353.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part4.pdf
Exhibit M 20110526142626818.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part6.pdf
Exhibit AA 20110527094724346.pdf
Exhibit N 20110526142656148.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part6.pdf
Exhibit A 20110526141410852.pdf
Exhibit O 20110526153107690.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part7.pdf
Exhibit B 20110526141450701.pdf
Exhibit P 20110526153159437.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part8.pdf
Exhibit BB 20110527094815284.pdf
Exhibit Q 20110526153415159.pdf
Exhibit EE 20110527095902938_Part9.pdf
Exhibit C 20110526141520389.pdf