Speakers on Pollution, Museum, and Cleanup, in Chillicothe Council – 94.3 WKKJ

Chillicothe City Council Session Addresses Key Sustainable Development Challenges

Environmental Governance and Industrial Legacy: A Focus on SDG 6 and SDG 11

A significant portion of the Chillicothe Council session on Monday was dedicated to addressing public concerns regarding the environmental legacy of local industries, a matter directly impacting several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation: The primary concern raised by citizens was the threat to local water resources following the closure of the Pixelle paper mill. The mill’s wells had been instrumental in containing a groundwater pollution plume originating from the former Wear-Ever plant. The shutdown raises urgent questions about the continued management of this contamination and the protection of safe water sources for the community.
• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The potential spread of contaminated groundwater poses a direct risk to public health, highlighting the critical need for effective environmental remediation to prevent adverse health outcomes.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The situation underscores the challenge of managing industrial legacies to ensure safe, resilient, and sustainable urban environments. Effective oversight and action are required to mitigate pollution and safeguard community well-being.

Promoting Cultural Heritage and Education: Aligning with SDG 4 and SDG 11

The council also took action on a community project aimed at preserving local history and enhancing cultural infrastructure, contributing to progress on SDGs related to education and cultural heritage.

1. Project Initiative: Community leaders, including Bob Leach, Melody Lapczynski Hatfield, and retired Judge Jhan Corzine, presented a plan to convert the city’s water maintenance building on Park Street into a museum. The facility will feature local memorabilia and military history, complementing the adjacent Veterans Memorial Park.
2. Council Action: In response to an urgent grant deadline, the council passed a resolution on its second reading to facilitate funding for the project.
3. Contribution to SDGs:
   • SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: This initiative directly supports Target 11.4, which calls for strengthening efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural heritage.
   • SDG 4: Quality Education: The proposed museum will serve as an important educational resource, providing lifelong learning opportunities for residents and visitors.

Addressing Social Vulnerability: Efforts Towards SDG 1 and SDG 10

A brief discussion on volunteer efforts to clean up homeless camps touched upon critical social issues, reflecting the underlying principles of the SDGs focused on poverty and inequality.

• Community Engagement: The mention of volunteerism points to community-level engagement with the complex issue of homelessness.
• Relevance to SDGs: This issue is central to achieving SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), as addressing homelessness is fundamental to creating inclusive and equitable societies where all individuals can live with dignity. It also relates to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), which aims to ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing.

Identified Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The article highlights concerns about a “plume of groundwater pollution” from a former industrial plant. This contamination poses a direct threat to human health, as polluted water can lead to various illnesses. The community’s anger reflects the fear of adverse health impacts from this environmental hazard.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation

  This goal is central to the issue of industrial pollution discussed in the article. The core problem is the contamination of groundwater, a critical source of clean water. The text explicitly mentions “groundwater pollution” and the fact that the paper mill’s wells were holding this pollution “in check,” indicating a direct impact on water resources and quality.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The article touches on several aspects of this goal. First, the legacy of industrial pollution is an urban environmental problem that affects the sustainability and safety of the city of Chillicothe. Second, the effort to transform a city building into a museum and enhance a public park (“Veterans Memorial Park”) is a direct action towards making the city more inclusive, safe, and culturally rich. Finally, the brief mention of “homeless camps” points to challenges in providing adequate housing and services for all residents.

• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

  The issue of “leftover pollution” from the former Wear-Ever plant is a direct consequence of past industrial production patterns that did not account for the environmentally sound management of waste. The article discusses the legacy of these practices and the current challenge of managing the resulting pollution, which aligns with the goal of reducing the release of hazardous materials into the environment.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

   The concern over the “plume of groundwater pollution” from the former Wear-Ever plant directly relates to this target. The pollution is a form of water contamination by hazardous materials (implied) that could lead to illnesses within the community.

2. Target 6.3: By 2030, improve water quality by reducing pollution, eliminating dumping and minimizing release of hazardous chemicals and materials…

   The article’s main environmental issue is the threat to groundwater quality due to industrial pollution. The community’s anger and the mayor’s concerns are focused on preventing the spread of this pollution, which is a direct effort to improve or at least maintain water quality by managing the release of hazardous materials.

3. Target 11.1: By 2030, ensure access for all to adequate, safe and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums.

   The mention of “homeless camps” indicates a lack of adequate and safe housing for a portion of the city’s population, directly connecting to the objective of this target.

4. Target 11.4: Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage.

   The project to turn a city building “into an educational display of local memorabilia and militariana” is a clear example of an effort to protect and safeguard local cultural heritage, as described in this target.

5. Target 12.4: By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle… and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil…

   The “leftover pollution” and the “plume of groundwater pollution” are examples of the failure to achieve environmentally sound management of industrial waste. The current situation described in the article is a direct consequence of this, highlighting the importance of the target.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. Indicator related to Target 6.3 (Indicator 6.3.2: Proportion of bodies of water with good ambient water quality)

   The article implies the need to measure the quality of the groundwater. The entire concern is based on the premise that the “plume of groundwater pollution” negatively affects water quality. Monitoring the spread and concentration of this plume would be a direct way to measure the state of this water body.

2. Indicator related to Target 11.1 (Informal: Existence and number of homeless camps)

   While not a formal UN indicator, the article’s mention of “homeless camps” serves as a direct, observable indicator of a lack of adequate housing. The presence and size of such camps can be used as a local measure of the scale of the housing problem.

3. Indicator related to Target 11.4 (Indicator 11.4.1: Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage)

   The article explicitly mentions that the project leaders “asked council to pass a resolution on second reading to meet a grant deadline to help fund the project.” This reference to securing grant funding is a direct link to the financial expenditure being allocated for the preservation of cultural heritage.

4. Indicator related to Target 12.4 (Indicator 12.4.2: Hazardous waste generated per capita and proportion of hazardous waste treated)

   The “plume of groundwater pollution” can be understood as untreated hazardous waste. Measuring the size and toxicity of this plume and tracking efforts to contain or remediate it would serve as a practical application of this indicator, focusing on the proportion of legacy hazardous waste that is being managed or treated.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: wkkj.iheart.com