Background/Question/Methods Uniontown, Alabama is a predominantly Black town which resides on the edge of the Arrowhead Landfill (AL). AL holds four million tons of coal ash which directly jeopardizes the physical, emotional and generational health of Uniontown residents. The expendability of Unitwon residents by AL through the process of racial capitalism, prompted my investigation into the magnitude in which racial capitalism persists and affects Black residents of Uniontown. To meet these objectives, I utilized a community-based participatory framework with resident interviews and assessed ecological degradation in New Hope Cemetery using Ground Penetrating Radar. Therefore, I used a community-based participatory framework by interviewing a total of 13 community members.
Results/Conclusions Through the interviews, residents of Uniontown have expressed testimonies that have provided a historical, environmental, and health outlook on the ways their lives have been affected since the habitation of Arrowhead Landfill. Assessment of degradation to cemetery land and destruction of graves revealed a dimension of generational trauma as a result of physical ecological destruction. Moreover, farmers have expressed the sudden fatalities of their livestock and crops from the seepage of coal ash which is defined as a carcinogen and contains high levels of arsenic, lead, mercury, radium and much more.. The toxins from the seepage exacerbated the situation by poisoning the groundwater systems and nearby surface waters. In addition, quality breathing air is compromised through the dense smog of coal ash combustion residuals (CCR’s). The combination of air and water pollution has caused a surge in health issues such as high rates of respiratory illnesses and cancers. The Arrowhead Landfill has caused immense difficulties for Uniontown and has negatively altered the quality of life for the living and nonliving. Results indicate that racial capitalism has evolved and operates through these environmental toxicities emitted by Arrowhead Landfill.
