Jesus People Against Pollution

The town of Columbia was founded on December 8, 1811 — six years before Mississippi was admitted into statehood. The people of Columbia were here long before any industries came into the area.

The town and state have always been known to have a racist attitude in treating the poor. All across Mississippi and the rest of the South, modern-time slavery still exists in our homes, workplace, and schools. Here in Columbia, there are no blacks in any government or banking positions. There are no unions in local industries, either. Companies are slaving and slaying the people with toxic poisoning.

Our people have been abused and used by polluters who have broken the law. The polluters are billion-dollar industries, crooked politicians, and the EPA, right down to wealthy, evil-minded people who control the media and refused to let the truth be known.

Between 1974 and 1975, Reichold Chemicals manufactured wood preservatives without a permit for 22 months. After they did receive a permit, an explosion rocked the plant in 1977. When the company abandoned the site in 1984, the EPA discovered that the whole city drinking water supply has been poisoned by benzene toluene, lead, and many other deadly cancer-causing chemicals. Floods washed the chemicals into Jiggling Creek, which runs through an African American and poor white neighborhood past a school. Fish and cattle died.

All of the evidence was kept from the poor. The EPA put the plant on the Superfund cleanup list, but they have consistently tried to cover up the major environmental crisis.

In 1989, Jesus People against Pollution stepped on the scene to help the poor of Columbia to obtain the justice they deserved for being poisoned by Reichold Chemicals. They have broken God’s laws that state “Thou shall not steal," and “Thou shall not kill."

We have been the victims of toxic poisoning by the military and industries for years, but we have reached the stopping point. We are not going to take it any longer. Poor communities are crying out for help to end this chemical warfare. We have the right to protection, not because we are people of color, but because we are human beings, and everyone deserves the right to clean land, air, and water in their everyday environment.

Charlotte Keys is founder of Jesus People Against Pollution based in Columbia, Mississippi.