Kids want clean air in South Minneapolis

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The Minneapolis City Council hasn't allowed these kids or those in support of a farm at the Roof Depot site to speak, so they gathered together on June 17 to flood city council member offices with phone calls sharing their ideas for what they want in their community. (Photo by Tesha M. Christensen)

By TESHA M. CHRISTENSEN

tesha@longfellownokomismessenger.com

The desire for healthy food and air brought kids and their adults to the East Phillips Cultural and Community Center on Monday, June 17, 2019 to engage in grassroots action. The group, which spanned multi cultures and ages, pulled out their phones to contact city council members to tell them they don't want a city water yard to take up 16.5 acres at Hiawatha Ave. between 26th and 28th St.

They'd rather see an urban farm, aquaponics, solar array, affordable houses, bike shop and other small businesses at the Roof Depot site as proposed by the East Phillip Neighborhood Institute, according to organizer Cassandra Holmes of Little Earth. They don't want 400 diesel trucks adding to the air pollution in the neighborhood and along the Midtown Greenway. "We are tired of them not listening to us and putting all their garbage on us," she stated.

"Kids need clean air. They deserve clean air. We need to stop the polluting industries," agreed former state representative Karen Clark. "This is what environmental injustice looks like." Learn more about the project at http://www.eastphillipsneighborhoodinstitute.org/

minneapolis-water-yard, roof-depot

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