By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@TheCitizenNews.com

South Fulton County is crammed full of landfills, hazardous industrial sites and hazardous waste facilities.

Its water and air also are polluted, and its people have more cancer and other diseases than those in other areas.

That's the message conveyed by Fulton County officials Tuesday during a town hall meeting on environmental concerns.

"I'm saying today that in District 7, we ain't having it no more," said county Commissioner William "Bill" Edwards, who sponsored the meeting to provide information and solicit public comment on environmental policy.

With evangelistic fervor, Edwards called on residents to fight to keep environmentally damaging development out of the county. "We need to guard the border like the U.S. government guards the border between Texas and Mexico," he said.

Dr. James Fason, deputy director of the county Department of Environment and Community Development, and Dr. Adewale Troutman, director of the Department of Health and Wellness, presented a bleak picture of South Fulton's current environmental makeup.

Noise pollution, air pollution, water pollution and industrial pollution are all at unacceptable levels, said Fason. And because a majority of the area's population is made up of black people and other minorities, the phrase "environmental justice" is significant as well, he said.

Environmental justice, he said, is defined as "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin or income in the development, implementation and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations and policies."

Fason scrolled through a slide show of charts showing that:

Virtually all of Fulton County's toxic release inventory sites are in the southern part of the county, many of them in the 7th District;

Six solid waste facilities are in the south, two in the north;

Two hazardous waste facilities are north of Atlanta, while more than 20 are in commission Districts 5, 6 and 6 south of town.

Seven of ten wastewater treatment facilities are in South Fulton, and out of 12 surface streams, only one is able to support its designated use the rest are too polluted. The Chattahoochee River also is heavily polluted south of Atlanta, while on the north side it is regularly used for recreational purposes, Fason said.

"It will be some time before they clean up the river so you can enjoy it," he added.

Hartsfield International Airport is on the south side and is considered one of the area's major environmental stressors, adding noise and air pollution, and having socioeconomic consequences as it expands, Fason said. Plans to expand the planned fifth runway at Hartsfield will result in more landfills being built here to handle the construction waste, he said, and people and businesses will have to be relocated, creating economically blighted areas.

Troutman, the Health Department director, conducted his own slide show, mapping health problems on the north side and in South Fulton.

Premature deaths from all cancers, AIDS, hypertension, heart attacks and stroke are much higher in the south end of the county, Troutman's figures showed.

But the causes aren't all environmental, he said, and presented figures showing that the area also has more problems with factors over which individuals have control like smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise and obesity.

And in a recent survey, it was found that Fulton's District 7 has the highest percentage of people who own guns that are loaded and unlocked, Troutman said.

Solutions offered by the presenters included:

Stronger stream buffer ordinances to protect water quality, along with zero tolerance for soil erosion violations.

Better land use planning.

A stronger tree protection ordinance. (This was enacted last year, said Fason).

A traffic impact mitigation plan.

A noise ordinance that would require more intense mitigation from the airport.

A plan for more green space and laws to require it.

On environmental justice, Edwards said Fulton County has an environmental justice policy in place, and the trick now is to make sure it's enforced.

"It's the policy that has to prevail," he said. Edwards promised to fight against any rezonings or approval of any new development that will damage the area, including the proposed fifth runway expansion, and he challenged the crowd of more than 100 to get involved, including attending Board of Commissioners meetings when there are issues of importance to South Fulton on the agenda.

"Those meetings are at 10 a.m.," said one resident in response. "And everybody doesn't have money for parking downtown."

It's not necessary to attend every meeting, Edwards said, but residents should attend when something important comes up. "Make a way for that day is all I ask," he said. "When there's a zoning issue in the north county, my fax blows up," he said.

On the airport, resident Yusef Sharif urged leaders to consider an injunction to stop further expansion because of the impact on the area, adding that he believes environmental justice laws should already be in place to stop it. "There's something out of key with something that's already supposed to be in place," he said.

Edwards said he will do all he can to protect the area, but in the end, he said, "It's going to be your fight."