WOMENS ENVIRONMENTAL INSTITUTE AT AMADOR HILL

WEI CONTINUED OUR ADVOCACY WORK AS PART OF THE EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD INSTITUTE'S (EPNI) COALITION THAT CHALLENGED AND HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN STOPPING THE CITY OF MINNEAPOLIS' PLAN TO CONSOLIDATE STORAGE OF ITS PUBLIC WORK DEPARTMENT'S CITY-WIDE WATER AND SEWER PIPES AND EQUIPMENT, DIESEL TRUCKS AND OTHER WATER DEPARTMENT VEHICLES AT THE HUGE FORMER "ROOF DEPOT" WAREHOUSE SITE IN EAST PHILLIPS NEIGHBORHOOD - A 7+ ACRE SITE. INSTEAD THE EPNI COALITION PROPOSED ITS OWN ALTERNATIVE PLANS TO DEVELOP THE SITE AS A COMMUNITY-BASED, COMMUNITY-OWNED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE-DESIGNATED "EAST PHILLIPS INDOOR URBAN FARM PROJECT". IT WILL DEVELOP AQUAPONICS AND VEGETABLE FARMING, GREEN JOBS/JOB TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, CULTURAL FOOD AND CRAFT MARKETS, SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATORS, A HUGE SOLAR ROOF ARRAY, COMMUNITY EVENT SPACE, A YOUTH-LED CAFÉ, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, ART SPACE, COMMUNITY COMPOSTING SPACE AND POSSIBLY A SOCCER FIELD AT THIS SITE INSTEAD. THE EPNI COALITION OPPOSED THE CITY'S PLAN BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE ADDED EVEN MORE TOXIC AIR POLLUTION INTO THIS LOW-INCOME, MAJORITY PEOPLE-OF COLOR AND NATIVE AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD THAT IS ALREADY OVER-POLLUTED WITH ENVIRONMENTAL TOXIC SOURCES CAUSING MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES RELATED TO RACE AND POVERTY. WEI HAD DOCUMENTED THESE HEALTH DISPARITIES ON A GIS MAP CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LEGISLATIVE GIS COMMISSION IN 2006 AND 2007. THIS IS CLEARLY AN "ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE" STRUGGLE, CENTERED IN MINNEAPOLIS' SOUTH SIDE GREEN ZONE. LITTLE EARTH OF UNITED TRIBES HOUSING COMMUNITY FARM IS LOCATED ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE "ROOF DEPOT" SITE AND LITTLE EARTH RESIDENTS HAVE PROVIDED MAJOR LEADERSHIP IN THIS STRUGGLE THROUGHOUT -- INCLUDING A RESIDENT BEING A DIRECT PARTY TO EPNI'S ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY FOR ITS FAILURE TO ENFORCE THE 2008 REQUIRED "CUMULATIVE IMPACT ANALYSIS" LAW. THAT LAW WAS SPECIFICALLY PASSED FOR NEIGHBORHOOD RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES LOCATED NEAR THE "ARSENIC TRIANGLE" -- A FEDERALLY DESIGNATED SUPERFUND SITE FOR "RESIDENTIAL ARSENIC" IN THIS COMMUNITY. THE LAWSUIT IS CURRENTLY "ON PAUSE", AS EPNI HAS CONTINUED THROUGHOUT 2023 TO ENGAGE WITH PUBLIC OFFICIALS REPRESENTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO TRY TO ENFORCE THE LAW. IT HAS RECEIVED STRONG SUPPORT FROM MOST CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. WEI COMPLETED A MAJOR PORTION OF A $10,000 GRANT FROM THE SOUTH SIDE GREEN ZONE COUNCIL (SSGZ) TO ACCOMPLISH TWO STATED GOALS: 1) TO EXPAND THE SSGZ MULTI-LINGUAL SIGNAGE IDENTIFYING THE SOUTHSIDE GREEN ZONE BOUNDARIES TO INCLUDE TWO ADDITIONAL LANGUAGES (KOREAN AND OROMO) BEYOND THE ORIGINAL FIVE (ENGLISH, SPANISH, SOMALI, OJIBWAY AND DAKOTA.) THESE ADDITIONAL SIGNS ARE NOW VISIBLE IN SEVERAL CEDAR-RIVERSIDE NEIGHBORHOOD SITES WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING RESIDENTS' AWARENESS OF THE SPECIAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT AND SECURE FROM THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SSGZ SIGNS, INCLUDING THOSE IN EAST PHILLIPS, IS MORE THAN 125 AND THE DEMAND FOR MORE SIGNS FROM RESIDENTS HAS GROWN. 2) WEI IS STILL WORKING ON THE SECOND PART OF THE GRANT-TO UPDATE THE EJ FLIP CHART THAT VISIBLY PORTRAYS THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTED INCIDENCE OF RACIAL AND INCOME-BASED ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH DISPARITIES FROM TOXIC ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES THAT SSGZ RESIDENTS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY EXPERIENCING AS COMPARED TO OTHER HENNEPIN COUNTY RESIDENTS. THE MN LEGISLATIVE GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SERVICE OFFICE HAS CONTINUED TO OFFER THEIR ASSISTANCE TO HELP WEI CREATE THIS RESOURCE. WEI ALSO CONTINUED TO RAISE SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS FOR WEI'S MANY EDUCATIONAL CLASSES TO ENSURE THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR LOW-INCOME URBAN AND RURAL RESIDENTS. OUR SEPTEMBER 2023 ANNUAL WILL ALLEN FARMER TRAINING WEEKEND EVENT SERVED MORE THAN 100 PARTICIPANTS, 70% OF WHOM WERE LOW-INCOME PEOPLE OF COLOR AND NATIVE AMERICANS. PARTICIPANTS WERE URBAN, RURAL AND TRIBAL MINNESOTANS. WEI ALSO CONTINUED ITS REPRESENTATION ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF SEVERAL URBAN-BASED COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, INCLUDING: WICOIE NANDAGIKENDEN'S PRESCHOOL OJIBWAY AND DAKOTA LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM; LITTLE EARTH OF UNITED TRIBE'S HOUSING BOARD; AND CONTINUED ACTIVE MEMBERSHIP IN THE INDIGENOUS FOOD NETWORK. SUPPORTED BY A MINNEAPOLIS FOUNDATION GRANT, WEI BROUGHT FARMER WILL ALLEN TO NAWAYEE CENTER SCHOOL IN OCTOBER 2023 TO WORK WITH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO HELP INSTALL A 24 FOOT HOOP HOUSE THAT WILL EXTEND THE VEGETABLE GROWING SEASON, ADD EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND HELP PROVIDE NUTRITIOUS PRODUCE FOR CENTER SCHOOL'S STUDENT MEALS.