Speaker 2 00:00:40 Well, welcome back. This is <inaudible> at Somali link radios at K F a I 90.3 FM. You can always listen to K F I different community programming throughout the world, and you can always tap K F a i.org. And you can listen to the shows to the beautiful music, different languages, different cultures, different opinions, everything you
[email protected]. Today, we have a very amazing, uh, conversation with, um, very important people in our communities who are leaders trying to keep us healthy and safe. And, uh, the topic is about the livability of east Phillips, uh, community and the level of pollution. And also there's a fight for the, that the community is fighting to really take control of the health and the wellbeing of all of us and syndicated those community members who live close to this, um, unbelievable plants that, um, Foundry, huge Foundry and also, um, asphalt factory, um, that is right in the face of families, uh, residential area where families live and, uh, health conditions, indexes are really alarming.
Speaker 2 00:02:15 And now the community is trying to, to get, uh, an open space. Uh, that is that the main topic is about the, the, uh, roof depo, uh, right on 28th street and Cedar area. And, um, we'll talk more about the consequences of this organizing and how they trying to stop the city and the city council to, um, make more pollution efforts in this community rather than a low in the community to use the space and own this space to build, um, urban garden, uh, before I introduce, um, a lot of great friends here, um, let me share with you that if you are looking for a job or, you know, a neighbor who's looking for a job, um, Minneapolis, or the whole district needs bus drivers, bus drivers, um, they will train you and pay you for the training. Um, and also they will give you a, a hefty bonus to drive your and our kids to school safely every day.
Speaker 2 00:03:29 And, uh, right now they have benefits. Also some of those companies now are giving benefits to this working community to drive passes, and that if you need help with resumes, you need training like construction or say CDL or any other trainings, please reach out to emerge community development in north side. And also right here at the, see the Riverside opportunity center in Westbank. My last, uh, announcement is as I was leaving my home, the apartment buildings and see the Riverside. I've noticed it, firefighters fighting a fire again, this time is 1611 building where the elders leaf and, um, I haven't had any cash awards and I'm hoping that nothing happens to our elders. It wasn't that far when, um, the S the next building, the tallest building in the public housing, um, had a fatal, uh, fatalities, uh, that fire of where five people died and, um, it brought the community together.
Speaker 2 00:04:36 So we are holding nothing serious happiness today. Um, welcome. My guests are Dean Ellis, your first names, except a current clock who is highly beloved, our representative, uh, for this community for a long, long, long time, uh, representative, uh, Karen Clark. Um, actually she's at the site, as I can see through zoom. Uh, Karen, this community appreciates you. Um, we, the toughest time is where back in 1990s, late 1990s, when the immigrant community were new into Minnesota and needed every help they could get and voice, and you are always the golden voice. Welcome Dean Karen and Steven.
Speaker 3 00:05:23 Thank you very much.
Speaker 2 00:05:26 Um, Mr. Ruby, thank you. Um, we are talking about east Phillips. First of all, I have some basic, um, questions for you. Uh, so all the audiences who are listening can understand where exactly we are talking about, where, where is east Phillips neighborhood in Minneapolis then?
Speaker 3 00:05:50 So these Phillip's neighborhood sits in the right along Hiawatha avenue, just south of the 9,435 w uh, common freeway. It's been a neighborhood that's been in immigrant neighborhood for many, many decades. The native Americans are Hispanic. The saffron community has been really the portal to Minneapolis. Our specific project sits in the intersection bounded by Hiawatha 26, 20 eighth, and Longfellow really in the heart of the neighborhood is there is a location. That's been an area that's had decades of racial injustice, and Karen and Steve, I have to credit both of them. They've been great defenders of the neighborhood and turned back a lot of issues. But now we have really one of the greatest assaults on us and our community, including the saffron committee, which the city wishes to level this building. So 230,000 square foot building and build a service yard for the sale. The city public works department, bringing in trucks, pollution, the strain, the building, and really news and our opportunity for the Sanford community and all this lawn for community ownership, which is really important because this is going to be one of the first committee owned projects in the twin cities.
Speaker 3 00:07:18 And, but temps of nation denying the bow up to a thousand jobs for the community. We prayed about this, the environmental opportunity in terms of the art coach, culture, agriculture, the affordable housing, the housing, and all those athletes. And on top of it, if the city's plan goes through, we gained nothing more than 50 union jobs and a lot. And a lot of pollution introduced our neighborhoods. So this really affects our community greatly. And it's really a fight that needs to be won because the, if we lose and we're not going to lose, trust me on this, we will lose so much in the future because this will affect us for generations from now, the volt that's coming up is not just something that affects tomorrow. It affects generation of generation on it. So it's a major, major community issue. And it's certainly important to all of Minneapolis, not just Eastern it's neighborhood.
Speaker 2 00:08:19 Thank you, Dean. Uh, I represent, uh, representative, uh, Karen Clark. You're standing right by the site. I was there yesterday with Steve and a couple other leaders, including representative, uh, council, our city council. So, hi, first.
Speaker 4 00:08:37 Um, well thank you, first of all, or, um, uh, I just had this conversation with Dennis radio. I really appreciate it. I know we can meet more people that way and, uh, tell the truth about what's happening here. If I could just say a couple of things, first of all, thank you for the kind introduction. Secondly, what this is really about is this is an environmental justice fight, a goal to make sure that our city understands a very special neighborhood. It's the majority by community, majority people of color and low income people, native American people. It's a wonderful community. I had the honor to represent for many years. And right now it's been a struggle with the city over who will take control of this property. And as Dane was pointing out, this is an incredible site. I just always come over here to get inspired when we're going to talk about this, because building is like almost a quarter of a million square feet and inside it, we have envisioned as a neighborhood that we would indoor urban farm that would run all year round, helping deal with the issue of food security right here in our neighborhood, really good food and jobs to grow that food.
Speaker 4 00:09:58 Um, when I was in the legislature, we got more than $300,000 to plan this, um, architectural drawings, um, plans for a community organizing rainy and all the various cultural, and, you know, we are ready to go. We have been ready to go. And the city has decided that our ideas are not worthy and that instead, they would like to use this as a place to dump and store their waterworks departments, uh, pipes or sewer pipe, uh, you know, manhole covers all these things also that these trucks, and as, as a Dean, I think started to point out the problem, not only with utilizing it for that, they'll tear down this incredible building, which we have determined can be a wonderful resource. And the other thing is they will release incredible toxic pollution in doing that. This building sits on top of what has been a super fun site for, um, around, and when they knock down this building, we're able to do it, which we are not conceding.
Speaker 4 00:11:08 We aren't going to stop that, but if they would do that as, as they would release this arsenic into our neighborhood, and we have already as has been pointed out disproportionate problems with environmental health related issues, like asthma, heart disease, cancer shirt, and all of these things that are many neighbors who live here are experiencing, I'll just leave it there and say, this is a fabulous idea. It's been nurtured by a coalition of folks within his Phillips neighborhood Institute, and a hope the folks who are listening can help us win this fight. And maybe a little bit, we can talk about stackley, how to do that. We need one more vote on the Minneapolis. Did it cancel just one more vote?
Speaker 2 00:11:58 Thank you. Karen Clark. Um, um, Steve, um, you know, this neighborhood, as you mentioned yesterday, is part of the green zone, um, in Minneapolis. And it seems that it already had a Foundry, uh, asphalt factory, so much pollution, a lot of diseases caused by the pollution. Um, maybe the highest asthma rate, um, maybe cancer now, uh, and other, uh, respiratory diseases. How in the world would the city, the same city that designated this neighborhood at Greenstone would vote or, or fight the community to bring more pollution, Steve?
Speaker 5 00:12:50 Uh, that's a very good question. That's a very good question that we've been asking here now for a number of years. Uh, and it really is a legacy that the city has always in this neighborhood, used it for, um, things that the rest of the city does or want, and that, uh, legacy, um, needs to stop, but it continues on we, the green zone designation is to, to, uh, turn that back and, um, invest in green jobs and green development in, uh, cities that are suffering the most from pollution and disparities. So, um, we really are puzzled why other council members think that, um, the, the unwanted parts of, uh, of our water maintenance and our sewer maintenance need to be, uh, all kinds Solidated in our neighborhood, uh, when that, if there's really other alternatives for that. And, um, it's, you know, for it to take away the opportunity to develop this building on our Greenway and at a track transit oriented site, um, is, um, not right. And so that's why we've been fighting so hard. And, um, as council member kind of says, we need to stop the city's project first, and then the community can gather together and, and, um, decide what development they need and put it at this wonderful site.
Speaker 2 00:14:26 Thank you. Um, I want to ask you a question about, we heard that the, uh, the, um, the city will bring the other departments from Hennepin avenue, um, then bring it to this neighborhood, and that might have 500 trucks or several hundred trucks leaving windows, small streets, where there is a daycare where there are, you know, maybe a church, maybe, um, a walking area, the green, the green is there for bikers and, um, for walkers. Um, so I want to ask you more about that after we hear this message
Speaker 2 00:15:28 Hello, welcome back. This is Abdirizak B at Somali link radio at K F a I 90.3 FM. You can always listen to K F a I radio 24 7 with different programming, music, culture, food, all kinds of
[email protected]. I'm talking to the leaders, um, of east Phillips, uh, neighborhood, uh, that has been really trying to fight, um, excessive pollution in the community where children, parents, grandpas, you know, all kinds of people leave. And, um, and I believe I haven't seen any, that much of a pollution in a where I, I, I mean, I've been invited to, um, I mean, you've got, uh, the Foundry is huge all factory that really leases all this, um, has, um, smoke right into the community right across the street. And then next week you have the asphalt, uh, factory. That's also doing the same thing with the, in the, in the community.
Speaker 2 00:16:45 I mean, it's, uh, I'm not sure Steve will correct me, uh, that neighborhood has the highest asthma rate in the whole state or something close to that. And now we're talking about cancer and deaths, um, stiff yesterday, uh, on the team mentioned several neighbors who died or lost children because of those issues. And now the issue is that the city is, uh, the center of the conflict is that he used property, um, home Depot that you always see from the train when you pass it by, or when you are biking by the green way, um, that he used property had already had, um, public works, equipments, trucks, uh, maintenances. And now that would be Dublin with more smoke and more, uh, chemicals. Um, on top of that, the leaders said the city's planning to demolish the building and see Steve, if that happiness, what is what's, what's going to make worse in the, um, if they diminish the building, what's been w without there beneath the building that will come out.
Speaker 5 00:17:57 Um, well, first off, I want to, uh, apologize that our, um, uh, Somali board member Allah Mohammed was unable to make it here tonight, but Abba has been on our board from the very start and, uh, we, uh, love her contributions very much. And also I'd like to introduce, uh, Joby Tao, who is our, um, our communications coordinator, um, maybe our organizer, community organizer. So Joe, why don't you, um, uh, answer, um, the question of, of, um, what what's going to happen if, uh, the city brings in more doubles, the pollution that's, um,
Speaker 2 00:18:37 And thanks, Joe, for joining us.
Speaker 3 00:18:40 Yeah. Thank you so much for having us and for talking about this important issue. Uh, first and foremost, I'd like to just acknowledge that, you know, the east Phillips, uh, indoor urban farm project is not just an east Eastville issue, but it's a Minneapolis problem in that, you know, we talked about asthma rates and the castle cancer rates, those costs extend beyond the city to the state. We ended up paying for it, you know, so this isn't something that's, uh, secluded in just one neighborhood. Um, and when we talk about what exactly will happen, if this depo is demolished, you can think about, you know, the community needs stuck in industrial pollution, purgatory, uh, for the foreseeable future. Right now, what we're seeing is, you know, this issue of zoning problems, uh, you mentioned the, uh, you know, the pollution industry that is, uh, there, but it's right next to the issue there in the problem with the, uh, Hiwatt expansion project, because on its own, the height, the city's Hiawatha expansion project is not a polluter, but it's the location that is key east Phillips already has poor air quality.
Speaker 3 00:19:55 And as we seen in this summer where we had the longest consecutive days of poor air quality, that is compounded. So if you add 500 more trucks, if you add a three story parking ramp, you can see that air quality, not only extending, but the, you know, more like prevalent in the future where, you know, why are we subjugating one particular neighborhood? And as Steve mentioned before, it's just a cycle that city council has been using for a very long time. Um, and so we can predict, you know, asthma rates increasing. We can also predict that, you know, the income quality in the neighborhood will not get any better. As Dean mentioned, you know, we're talking about jobs, the city's creating jobs and creating a space for those jobs that are already spoken for, but the indoor, urban farm aids jobs, and not only just jobs, but jobs for an industry that will be thriving in the future green jobs, no farming.
Speaker 3 00:20:51 We're talking about solar panel maintenance, and we're also investing in our local economy in that we'll be developing entrepreneurials. Um, and I don't think anybody's mentioned that yet, but the urban farm would be collectively owned by the community in that, you know, shares would go back to community, you know, community has first option to these shares. So we're not only dealing with green energy. We're not only dealing with, you know, an investment in the local economy, but we're also dealing with something that, you know, would match the local neighborhood. And that would, could be a vehicle for reenergizing our city. Because as we have noticed with city council, there, isn't a plan to reinvigorate the city after so many businesses on lake street have been burnt down or lost. Um, and so, you know, that's what I have to say on that. I do see Kasey, uh, has her hand raised. Um, and I know she's busy, so I do want to hand it off to them.
Speaker 2 00:21:49 Welcome.
Speaker 6 00:21:50 Thanks, Joe. Um, thank you. Thanks for having a son here. I appreciate it. Um, I just wanted to say like Joel was so spot on with everything. Um, but I do want to add just like a personal feeling to this, and that would be what's happening to us if they are successful is an as a huge form of genocide for, um, not only the native peoples, the rate there at little earth, but all of our community and these Philips, they will be experiencing this huge form of genocide. That is just gonna, you know, they're all we're already, we're already dying for already dying. We're losing kids, we're losing community members. I myself has, have lost a son to a heart condition that he was not born with. I've watched friends lose their children to heart conditions. They weren't born with people dying of asthma. So that's already happening at such a huge number in our community that if they're successful for me, it's going to be like a thousand times worse. And that's really what this comes down to at the end of the day is that that we're dying. They're killing us. And it was it's enough to impact in the raise concern because it was kind of slowly, but it's getting more, more gas from them. It's getting that push from the city. And if they do this, we're going to, we're going to be dying at such a faster rate and that community that I don't even know, if it will even be livable at one point
Speaker 2 00:23:27 Kasey, uh, you are a resident of real earth, and I'm a mom who lost a baby because of this. And, um, what are you hearing from the mothers and fathers and the grandpas and grandmas who also are your neighbors in east Phillips and, uh, and backed by this continual, uh, ignored.
Speaker 6 00:23:50 Honestly, I don't know. I'm going to be honest as much as we try to get the information out there. I don't know if a lot of people really understand the severity of it. And I just got asked the question the other day was who do you blame, you know, for your son's death? Who do you blame? And I said, you know, I don't know, because growing up, I didn't even know the dangers of where I was living. I didn't know the pollution was that bad. So, you know, at the end of the day, you have all these people in office who knows the pollution, who know the rates. And honestly, if it wasn't like people for like, people like Karen Clark to bring this to our attention, I don't even know how long it would take for us to, to know what was going on around us.
Speaker 6 00:24:37 Do you know what I mean? Like I just, honestly, I don't know when I asked that I was surprising, cause I'm like, I do believe I blame people who know what's going on and continue to hurt us. And I blame myself because I wasn't aware of my surroundings. I should have known what was going on. And when I knew, you know, why did I stay? But I love my community. And I love the people there. And I just feel like the people are, people are concerned, but I wish that I wish that we knew, I wish they could know more know more of really what's in the air, how it affects how it affects us and that we didn't have to lose more people, more kids and, and elders to these diseases and stuff, coming from the pollution for people to want to do something. You know, um, what I'm hearing though from parents a lot of, is like, they're scared, they're scared because they know that we've watched children. And, and when I try to explain the severity of like, if the buildings torn down and I'd like, I try to be as brutally honest as I can, it's scary. It's super scary. And we gotta figure out something. Otherwise I just don't know what the future looks like.
Speaker 2 00:25:56 Thank you, Cassie. Um, and this also question is for all of you, including, uh, Karen Clark, um, the streets of the neighborhood surrounding these facilities, including the asphalt, uh, asphalt factory and the Foundry are very small, typical neighborhood streets where kids sometimes play baseball or run around or bike. Uh, there's a daycare there. Uh, there's a church, there are churches around. Um, um, there are a lot of, you know, there's, um, um, I think shelter there by the church. I'm not sure if it's still there. I mean, there are, it's a family oriented neighborhood, even if you look at the streets, very small streets and where will this 500 or so tracks, are they building the bridge or the streets for them, or that's one question. And my second question is only supposed to be a city that's fighting for green space and also environmental minded and trying to set up as an example for that for the country. Um, why building a parking lot. We're supposed to encourage people not to drive and use the light rail station right there on the corner. Thank you. And all of you can ask this,
Speaker 3 00:27:19 Well, let me just start. I just find it like Cassie and Joel's statements and they put out the stark truth. Cassie, it's a choice which in genocide or community ownership, it's that simple. And they both described the vision worry for very well. Cassie talked about what she's personally lost her son and what the acuity is. The experience that it's on the genocide side, Joel talked about community ownership. What does that mean? It means the east Africa community. So the teenage community, the native American community will own this project. It's not a project that's all about outside developers that a project is owned by a nonprofit is a project owned by the community. And it's a related job that could be up to a thousand. So we have a very stark contrast. So your question really, it really is have point genocide or community ownership. That's really the choice that is we're facing right now and why this board was formed because of that, just a simple inconvenience for people.
Speaker 3 00:28:25 It's a life and death issue that's been laid out in both casts. We can do a laid that off, very oligopoly of what we're facing, and you spoke about the community and the houses and all the elements around it. That's, that's our future. And that's what we're fighting for is give a future that has much better intergenerational wealth, intergenerational opportunity, a cleaner environment than just simply bringing the city in with the storage vehicles, because then outside proceeds lasts forever ever and ever. It'll never get a second chance out of this. So that's why this is so important,
Speaker 2 00:29:01 Steve.
Speaker 5 00:29:07 Yes. Um, it, uh, it's very important and that's, I think the what's energized us for these last five, six years is, um, the, our, our love of this community and its diversity. We, we have, um, I think the, the capital of resiliency, the capital of, of, um, cuisine and, and stories to tell around food and, um, to have this opportunity to bring the community together and everyone feeling welcome there. And everyone's there everyone having a chance to, um, educate their children and, and, uh, opportunity for green jobs, solar, you know, it's really, it's, it's really a one on one in a lifetime opportunity. And so I'm, I'm very, very excited about, um, about this. And like Karen said, we need one more vote. We need one more vote, and then we can get started on, uh, the community development, uh, the dream that we all have for, I mean, east Phillips is always an east lake street, always been where immigrants come and, um, you know, it's, it was true 150 years ago or whenever when my ancestors came from Scandinavia. Um, and it's true today. Um, and you know, it's about time. We invest in that and, and not pollute. Um, what is, uh, really the most, uh, uniquely diverse community in, in our state.
Speaker 2 00:30:45 Okay. Joe, first of all, uh, Joe, before you speak, yeah, sorry about that. I just want to acknowledge that we are all sitting on in room, but I want to acknowledge our, um, our former representative, Karen Clark is out there right by the site. And I really, really that's, that's all Karen fighting again. Uh, thank you. Uh, Joe, go ahead please.
Speaker 3 00:31:16 No problem. Thank you for acknowledging Karen like that. Uh, I think what we're seeing here is the complication or, uh, statements versus action, and, you know, cities can make declarations for climate emergency or, you know, uh, speak words about, uh, you know, racism is a public health crisis, but when it comes to remediation and, you know, actually solving these problems, what they're finding is they're a lot more expensive than a lot more complicated to solve and they take time. And, you know, if this east Phillips, um, problem that we're seeing is an example of that, um, it will be expensive because, you know, as I mentioned before, the neighborhood was zoned, um, as an industrial site, um, despite it being next to, in a residential area. And as Steve alluded to, um, it's, uh, it's been historically a location and we're poor BiPAP or refugees, or, you know, new immigrants go to, um, and with that, you know, you're kind of consolidating, you know, your city's most vulnerable, um, and also your most poor.
Speaker 3 00:32:27 And so with all of these things, um, you know, the neighborhood has been relied on, you know, outsourcing its skills and labor force outside of the community, um, which has then, uh, further depleted the economy within the area. So there's really no infrastructure to expand on, let alone to start developing, uh, like a green, uh, infrastructure plan that we could, you know, mobilize around despite, but we do have the roof people project, which will do all of these things. Um, it will, will it be costly maybe, but the pros outweigh the cons and, you know, we have time, um, to figure it out. We have commitments from the state legislature. We have commitments from, you know, our county commissioner and we have commitments from our federal representatives that they built fight, uh, for funding for this, uh, you know, this plan, not because, you know, it's a great plan, but because you know, it's community end and it's something that will combat climate change. And it's something that could really change the, you know, the future of this neighborhood, which is like I said, you know, keeping east Phillips as it is, is just something that will be costly for us as taxpayers, but even more so for the families that lose loved ones too, you know, air pollution, whether it be to asthma or other complications that we have seen.
Speaker 2 00:34:02 Say that again. Oh yes. Um, Karen Clark, we are going to come back for you after we hear this message.
Speaker 2 00:34:29 Welcome back. This is <inaudible> from Somali link radio at K F a I 90 Bali, three F M. You can always listen to cave. I 24 7, no matter where you are in the universe, as long as you have a computer and the internet tab, K F a i.org, we are talking about the importance of life, the lives of families, children, the whole community in east Phillips that has been damaged and, uh, impacted negatively by, uh, pollution. That's really making the neighborhood one of the worst in Kim's in terms when it comes to asthma rates in the state. And now we are talking about the cancer and other complications. We just talk to Cassidy, um, a mom who lives in little earth who lost a baby, um, a kid, um, uh, to that solution. And God knows how many people and how many are the state or the city paying in terms of healthcare to maintain the health care of those who are getting sick of this.
Speaker 2 00:35:46 And now the city wants to take the rooftop, um, Depot, um, we're a house, uh, where there's a lot of chunks on traffic and, um, uh, to maintain this, our, our water system, they want to bring the other bigger part from Hennepin avenue area. If I'm correct and enlarge. And this site, they're also trying to destroy a very nice renovated building that could host a whole community for whatever proposes green proposals they want to do. The city is voting against the community cities voting against the health of this population and this community. Uh, this is our city and here, this leaders have been working very hard to turn this place, to buy the place this 238, 250,000 square feet by it and not destroyed. But, uh, if it's those buildings that buildings destroyed, um, worse chemicals will come out and really do a huge damage to the community and all of us.
Speaker 2 00:36:55 So they try to preserve it and make it an urban garden where all our young people can meet and be safe from the streets and farm and produce our healthy and organic food. We're also talking about input from the community. I already talked to some people, they said they're interested a small immigrant business area, a BiPAP communities to have a business incubators there to get trainings, to start their own businesses. It's like, I see the plan. I've read it last night. It's really a dream for all of us because it brings people together. It's a shelter. We will have a safe place for our homeless, uh, community and the recovery community. Um, it's evolving, but the sad part of it is that the city council voted nine to four. Am I right against it? And, uh, it might bring 500 more tracks into that little, those little streets where kids play. Go ahead, Karen,
Speaker 4 00:38:00 It's six to seven one vote. Yeah. It's only one vote, one vote. And I have to say, if I can speak for just a moment, like, yeah, it's just one vote we need to change. Um, and the vote is next next week. I believe it's going to be on the 6th of October that we need to have rather than six. And, um, you know, we'd love to have the whole city council, all 13 members about with us, but we know we can win. If we have just one more volts, we have seven goals. I just, I thank you for, for, um, helping us get the word out. That's really the main thing. And as Cassie said earlier, a lot of people don't realize what's going on once they do, they get pretty concerned. I love being by the side over here because the big word imagine was the first word that appeared on this fence. And we started putting up signs. And the idea was to imagine what it could mean to have an urban farm that produced food and jobs for people who live here who have hunger issues, um, and who don't have jobs that help them live their life. We want to have living wage jobs, and we want to have the opportunity for all of our cultures to come together.
Speaker 4 00:39:22 It's a beautiful community in many ways, but it's also a community that's suffering. And so the beauty of this job, this place needs to be supported. Uh, it's just kind of unbelievable that our city is trying to stop this project and wanted to turn this into just a storage facility for their water pipes and sewer pipes and diesel trucks and said, it's unimaginable. So we asked them to imagine this positive vision, and I have to say, I'm so proud of that this neighborhood, it has organized time and time again, to not only stop bad pollution issues, but to actually build really good alternatives. And that's, what's so great about this. Um, in addition to, to an urban farm, which can be inside that big building, we also have in our plan, the architectural drawings for homes, homes that are affordable to the people who live here and jobs that are dedicated to the people who live here.
Speaker 4 00:40:25 Those are things that right now are missing. Um, we want clean and safe streets. And as what was mentioned, an important part of making this vision happen, uh, they, they did a lot of the signs that are on the fence here. Some of the youth from our neighborhood and Cassie, um, helped organize the youth over at littler. They, they did a whole, uh, um, story to tell about what we're doing here and to try to get that word out to people, but we need the help of your listeners. You know, I thank you again for, for putting this on your radio program. Uh, you've always been a strong voice for justice, and that's what this is. This is a fight for justice, environmental justice, racial justice, human rights is just so basic that we have clean air, clean water, good food, affordable homes. And, you know, I just invite people. If you get a chance to come on over here to the corner of 28th and, uh, Longfellow here in Phillips shield, you'll look across the street and see that we have, um, the Foundry it's collusion with opportunity makes something beautiful, but financed the city vote, but I,
Speaker 2 00:41:59 Yeah, you crack it up. Um,
Speaker 4 00:42:01 Well, Sidney console and also don't leave out the mayor, mayor fry, and our supporter on this, and we need him to come around. Oh,
Speaker 2 00:42:11 So yeah. So city council
Speaker 4 00:42:15 Say that much I'm standing here and the traffic heavy on the streets and as Kasey, this Is that Steve or somebody was going to speak.
Speaker 2 00:42:29 Yes. Thank you, Karen. Um, so go ahead and Steve.
Speaker 5 00:42:36 Yeah, no, I, I, um, I can just reiterate what, um, Karen and Dean have said that, uh, this is a wonderful opportunity and our community has, um, risen to the occasion time and time again, over these many years, uh, they turn out when, when the vote is, uh, um, uh, coming and, uh, we, we just, uh, really appreciate that and, um, are looking forward to, uh, as Karen said, one more vote on, on Wednesday. So if, uh, if you know, a council member that hasn't, uh, understood the importance of this, um, please let them know that, that, uh, this is very important. It's crucial and there's other alternatives. Uh, in fact, new alternatives have just arisen for, um, plans for the city to not need to consolidate everything in our neighborhood there, uh, the east yard on east Hanapin, uh, there's a plan to renovate that, and it's quite, quite detailed and good. And so, um, that, uh, gives council members really, um, the, the best choice I think, to, um, be able to support environmental justice and our neighborhood at the same time as providing the, the facility that the water maintenance yard needs. So, um, please everyone call your council members and your mayor and, um, ask, you know, tell them that this is, this needs to, um, this needs to support the, uh, east Phillips indoor urban farm.
Speaker 2 00:44:16 Thank you, Steve. Thank you, Karen Dean.
Speaker 3 00:44:24 So there's here's so it's so frustrating. The city better alternatives than to build their water facility here. And it's not a water facility. It has nothing to do with water quality. It's a storage Arbor for palsy. Steve alluded to had mentioned they have a plan. They could renovate the existing building and accomplish all they need to do. They don't need this site. It's unnecessary for the operations of the water department and the public works department of the city of Minneapolis. It is not needed. It is. I got to be just straight. This is selfish of the city to do this, to this community that it's short-sighted, uh, it's has risk of loss of license, mention CAHSI pollution and create a deck. Hey, it's a property. If they go ahead with this, it is something that the communities and I want, I've heard the community, all the communities cannot allow to happen because a legacy of this failure will last for generations.
Speaker 3 00:45:33 So we really need the help of your listeners, of your station. Every community to call the council members, call the mayor, raise money to stop this insanity. Cassie was blunt, but she's right. It's a genocidal soul question. It is not just a planning issue. It's an issue of subjecting people to genocide for generations forward. And he looked at the opposite. We could create a green facility as agriculture, occupy, affordable housing jobs, training, all these elements and community ownership. What does can we, or should meets all the people in the community have a chance to own some for their families for future generations. It's not just a project. It's a community project that every community has a piece to own and say, I'm part of it. It's mine. So I beg your listeners to please push hard, push aggressive, because we cannot let this. We cannot let this condemn the future of the neighborhoods of Minneapolis. North continued the loss of life. It's a big deal. It's a big issue. And I thank you for listening and giving us a voice to our efforts. You have no idea how much we appreciate you taking the time with your program. So from the bath of the committee, thank you.
Speaker 2 00:47:02 Okay. We going to have a color. We need you to say the name of the project. I'll listen to her, call in and wants to get involved. She wants to talk to her counselor specifically, Steve or Dean, or Karen, go ahead. Cathy indoor,
Speaker 6 00:47:19 Urban farm.
Speaker 3 00:47:20 That is correct. Yeah.
Speaker 6 00:47:22 Um, you can call your council member and the mayor and encourage, um, other people to do so in other, even in other words, so thank you so much to that caller for calling and asking for that information. Yeah,
Speaker 2 00:47:39 Kathy, um, as a mom, um, and, uh, as a resident of this community, like everyone else and especially the precedent of little earth, um, what, what do you ask the audience to do?
Speaker 6 00:47:54 I would ask the audience to stand up with us to help us fight this injustice. I, I want them to understand just like how, how hard it is and how, um, important it is. And I always say this, you know, I feel like, you know, the city council, we're like, we're on our knee, our knees begging, and they're kicking us while we're down for right now with this last boat, they're stomping us in the mud and they're hurting us and we need all the backing we can get. So we can thrive as a community so we can connect and work together instead of having all this, you know, division and all this hate and sadness. And, you know, we just, we had enough and we need that back in. So we can start to move forward in a positive way, what we need, you know, this is the same, this is the same area that the cop comes from. And the third precinct that killed George foil. And we just have so much to deal with and to so much to fight. And it's just, we just need back in, we need people to help us and to understand just how serious this is.
Speaker 2 00:49:05 Thank you, Kathy. Um, I would like to ask, um, Dean or Karen or Steve to mention all the ailing things that create pollution in this neighborhood. One is again, then I will be able, because I have your writings, then I will mention the things you or the community are planning to, uh, replace those ailing or a problem issues in the, uh, created by the pollution. And I will read the list that will change that you have already ready. So go ahead,
Speaker 3 00:49:46 Aaron and Steve jump in. I'll, I'll follow up.
Speaker 5 00:49:49 Uh, one thing that, that, uh, uh, we saw, uh, when we were standing there, uh, next to the rift Depot site yesterday, um, was the, uh, test Wells. There are these pipes sticking up all around our neighborhood, test Wells for arsenic and, uh, right. Um, on the, on the east side of the rift people building is the source of what has been called the arsenic triangle, which was the largest, uh, residential Superfund site in the United States. Um, back in, well, it was discovered in the nineties and cleaned up in, um, I think 2007 or eight, somewhere around there. I was when, when, uh, they remediated, they removed the soil from, um, 600 yards homes in the surrounding area. Uh, the neighboring factory you had had, um, manufactured pesticides. And there was a big pile of arsenic arsenic, something that was brought in by train and dumped on the ground, and then, um, conveyor belted into the building to make the pesticides.
Speaker 5 00:51:01 And, um, this hap went on for 35 years from the thirties through the sixties and blew all over the neighborhood. So, uh, we have that legacy and arsenic has nothing to mess with and it's, unfortunately they cleaned up what they could, but they, we don't know what's under the, well, we know under the rift Depot, they already sampled it and there is arsenic in the groundwater. And what else, if they tear down that building is under there, um, is, uh, you know, we, we don't know, but, uh, our zero waste city does not need to remove this building and expose us to the dust and, and, um, whatever that's exposed in that. Um,
Speaker 2 00:51:46 Thank you, Steve. We are running out of time. So let me, um, read the things that you have written down or planning as a community to replace all those waste solution death, um, asthma that made the community the highest, um, asthma in their, in down, um, sickness in the state. So number one, green living wage jobs for the community. That's if the community owns the property at the building, it will be a green, it will create green living wage jobs for the community. Number two second chance job opportunities and chap training. That's number one, I think, uh, but in public, save it, save it to, um, three organic aquaponic, uh, year round food production, number four, affordable family housing and safe indoor space for many homeless, uh, community 5% resettlement space for many burn out Phillips businesses. Number six, coffee shop, well cafe run by neighborhood youth amazing seven community kitchen, very important eight cultural markets, which I know a lot of immigrant communities are really looking for that space. Nine bicycle shop on the Midtown Greenway. Yep. Um, 10, one of the largest solar arrays in the state, 11 economic and environmental justice for east Phillips. I want to say thank you for your amazing and, um, honorable time to be with us. And, uh, we are happy to have you back. Thank you. And we will be with you and please share with us if there's an event or anything we can do. Thank you.
Speaker 3 00:53:27 Thank you. Thank you so much, so much.
Speaker 2 00:53:31 Thank you. Thank you, Karen. Thank you, Steve. Bye.
