****Trigger Warning: Environmental Racism, Environmental Injustice****
Delta Air Lines Flight 89 Dumps Fuel on Communities of East LA
On January 14th, 2020 a Delta Airlines Boeing 777 jet bound for Shanghai from LAX airport experienced technical difficulties regarding its engine. In response, its pilot decided to employ an emergency fuel release of about a thousand gallons to reach a safe landing weight back at LAX. This action was done so at the great cost of communities in the nearby areas who found themselves in a rain of jet fuel without any warning. Six school campuses were affected, as well as neighborhoods east of LAX from Pico Rivera to Cudahy, Lynwood, Compton & South Central. About sixty people received medical attention, as jet fuel is extremely toxic and coated both children and adults. Victims reported drenching their clothes, flesh, mouth, nose and eyes which in turn caused severe irritation, sickness and nausea, not to mention emotional distress.
The Los Angeles Unified School District acted relatively quickly, cleaning over twenty schools overnight. Thankfully, as of right now after treatment there has been no hospitalizations and because of dissipation of VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds), there are no more cases anticipated. Furthermore, the Federal Aviation Administration is currently conducting an investigation, as releasing fuel on the communities is not within protocol guidelines. However, there have been major complaints of lack of civic engagement despite Delta representative Dana Debel who vowed commitment to doing so on behalf of the airline.
As of January 20, four teachers from Park Avenue Elementary School in Cudahy – Lisette Barajas, Laura Guzman, Mariana de la Torre, and Anabel Sampierio, are filing a lawsuit against Delta Airlines for negligence and damages. The plaintiffs allege that the engine problem was detected prior to take off and should have prevented the incident from occurring in the first place. This incident demonstrates a clear example of environmental injustice, as demographics who live in close proximity to LAX include high concentrations of low income and people of color. The latinx community makes up 96% of Cudahy’s population. These people are exposed to disproportionately high levels of pollutants in noise, air and water oftentimes because they cannot afford to live elsewhere. Meanwhile, wealthier neighborhoods near LAX can afford the utilities to combat these challenges. Money plays an active role in who is protected and who is left to fend for themselves, and this inequality is highlighted by this case. Class and race play a role as well, which qualifies this case as an issue of environmental racism as well. This same elementary school was closed for 8 months in 1989 and 1990 when an odd substance oozed up from underground. It was later discovered that the school had been built on top of a former city dump. This area has been historically and consistently impacted by environmental injustices that continue to go unrecognized.
If you feel compelled to support victims of this horrific incident and help hold Delta Airlines accountable for their actions, campus organization MUJER de UCSB has provided the flyer below in which you may voice your concerns.
Written by Cambria Wilson, Publicity Chair. Jan 28th, 2020.
