Yvonne Chamberlain-Marquez (Stringfellow Acid Pits)

 On the side of the 60 freeway, a large metal mammoth looms over commuters on their way in and out of the Inland Empire. It has become a landmark for many making their way through the small town of Glen Avon, seeing it simply as a funky piece of terrain nestled in the Jurupa Cultural Center. What many folks are unaware of is the toxic waste site that sits right above the outdoor learning space. The Stringfellow Acid Pits is one of the most toxic sites in the world and many, even residents, have no idea that this Super Fund site is there. There are no markers or signs on the road that saw over one million* gallons of toxic waste flow down into backyards and through the local elementary school. The Stringfellow site is one of the worst environmental disasters that California has ever faced and is part of a long legacy of extraction and abuse by both corporations and government officials in the Inland Empire. 

One of the first Superfund cleanup sites in the country, Stringfellow serves as an example of heightened environmental awareness  inspired by  Rachael Carson’s “Silent Spring.” Governments were becoming increasingly aware of the damages done to the environment following WWII and some officials were taking steps to remedy the problems for future generations. This was not the case with Stringfellow. If it had not been for a group of concerned citizens, mostly mothers, the long term effects of the toxic waste site would have been incalculable. By the time the Parents or Jurupa and the Concerned Action Committee* became aware of the issues, high levels of poisons were already seeping into the groundwater. Children were diagnosed with  health problems such as asthma and vision loss, women were experiencing miscarriages, and residents were getting cancer at alarming rates. The first person to sound the alarm, Ruth Kirkby, was written off as a “hysterical housewife” who was making a “big deal out of nothing” Through direct community activism, rooted in concepts of eco-feminism, the community was not only successful in addressing the Stringfellow clean up, it grew into one of the largest and most successful environmental and social justice groups in the region. The work of Ruth Kirkby, Penny Newman, and other concerned parents started one of the longest environmental legal battles in the country’s history that resulted in a cleanup plan that will take nearly 500 years to complete. For this project, I will explain the history of the region and explain how the Inland Empire was purposely chosen to be a toxic waste site. I will explore the activism of community groups, focusing on the work of Penny Newman, and I will explain the legacies and long term effects  of both the toxic waste and the activism on the community. I will be using the Brian Craig book “Stringfellow: A Toxic and Legal Legacy” and the journal article “Legacies of Environmental Justice in Inland Southern California” by Brinda Sarathy as my primary secondary sources but will be mostly relying on primary sources such as oral histories, newspaper articles, legal reports, photos, and various communications between individuals. If I am able to access  Over the next 2 weeks I will identify exactly how I will use these sources and begin writing the paper. By week 6 I will have all sources outlined, week 7 I will begin writing the research, by week 8 I will have started the poster and begin writing the presentation.







 



Sources: 

  1. Sarathy, Brinda. "Legacies of Environmental Justice in Inland Southern California." Race, Gender & Class 20, no. 3/4 (2013): 254-68. Accessed February 1, 2021. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43496944.

  2. Stringfellow Acid Pits: The Toxic and Legal Legacy (University of Michigan Press, 2020) by Brian Craig

  3. http://inlandiainstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/making-waves_penny-newman.pdf (oral interview 2017)

  4. https://oralhistory.library.ucla.edu/catalog/21198-zz00096mh6 (oral interview 2006) 

  5. https://www.scpr.org/news/2017/10/05/76315/a-hysterical-housewife-reflects-on-39-years-of-env/

  6. https://www.pe.com/2016/07/22/stringfellow-acid-pits-how-state-spent-52-million-in-latest-cleanup-effort/

  7. Primary Documents TBD - https://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/kt1r29r9qt/entire_text/?query=ms%20148#hitNum1

  8. http://www.allgov.com/usa/ca/news/where-is-the-money-going/states_60_million_stringfellow_acid_pits_win_in_high_court_could_cost_insurers_billions?news=762402


Comments

  1. Andrew DavidsonFebruary 9, 2021 at 4:01 PM

    Overall, I think the Stringfellow Acid Pits is a great topic that is focused and allows you to build a concentrated argument. You make a clear argument that the Stringfellow acid pits is the worst environmental disaster in California. You also make it clear that you are going to focus on the history of the pits by discussing the entire history of it and some of the effects it has had over time. Your sources appear to be directly connected to your topic with Brian Craigs book. You use both primary and secondary sources to help argue that this was the most devastating environmental disaster. Since, you are going to be analyzing activist groups who fought against the pits maybe you should use the legal documents you found to see how the government actions angered the groups. Also, the oral histories are extremely helpful to display the roadblocks the government emplaced on activist and maybe look at the level of cooperation the two groups had. Otherwise, your project seems to be a great example of an environmental historic event that offers a lot of sources and materials. I would suggest that next you look into footnotes and bibliographies of the sources you have found to further branch off into more research opportunities

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  2. OsvaldoFebruary 9, 2021 at 4:49 PM

    After reading your research topic I was honestly hooked. I am one of those drivers that definitely enjoys looking at the mammoth knowing I have crossed into the Inland Empire. I had no idea that this area was used as a toxic waste site. I think although the story behind it is very unfortunate, the project is really cool because you tell the story in which the local government tried to shut down the women activists and they fought back no matter what. You have a very clear and specific topic with a really interesting argument. And no doubt it is historical as it entails one of the worst environmental disasters in the state. Your blog shows dedication and a very focused work by you and that really gives the reader more motivation to keep reading. I can’t wait to learn from your project because it gives insight into many of the ongoing problems in the Inland Empire. And it is nice to know more history about the location that has been home for me for the past 4 years. Your sources seem very cool and ever since you mentioned you had experience in oral histories, it made me want to learn more from you. I think this project is going to be one of the best and I am ready for it.

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  3. Antonios TheodosisFebruary 9, 2021 at 5:04 PM

    This topic is definitely one that is a) historical and b) deals with the environment and the effects the historical event played on it. The sources you have provided are abundant in the information they provide for your research project and provide great insight and background information. Although it is difficult with covid at this time I think it would be really cool if you were able to get a hold of someone that was around and from those parts during this time and see if they could provide any personal insight towards what happened to really add onto an already great topic! The topic does a great job of tying together the history of the event into the environmental impact, but also highlighting the work that women did to try and stop this from continuing. It adds a nice touch to the project and it makes it feel like I am reading a story. If you need any other sources for newspaper articles I suggest www.newspapers.com they have a whole archive of newspapers available for you to use. Just type in a keyword such as "string fellow acid pits" and it will show you all of the available newspapers on the subject at that time.

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