Let's face it: Orange County has a problem disposing of its waste. Over the years, our Board of County Commissioners and other elected officials for whatever reasons - lack of foresight, possibly; lack of adequately trained support staff, probably; lack of knowledge or sheer will, perhaps - have taken what appears to be the most expedient way out, that is, dumping garbage near a predominantly low-income community of color, thus establishing over the past 35 years a trend now described by some as environmental racism.

For those unfamiliar with the phrase, environmental racism refers to the intentional or unintentional targeting of communities of color as places to locate solid-waste management facilities. It also refers to the exclusion of people of color from environmental policy making and land-use decisions as well as having a broader context that relates to health and recreation and to fire, police and emergency services (see the Coalition to End Environmental Racism, Mission and Goals at www.rogersroad.wordpress.com).

These aspects of environmental justice are sadly missing from the Rogers-Eubanks Road community. As a consequence, the Coalition to End Environmental Racism was formed, and its mission, foremost, is to reverse the Board of Commissioners' decision to locate yet another solid-waste management facility in this community - this time, a waste-transfer station.

We believe that to burden only one community with solid-waste management facilities and then locate yet another solid-waste facility in this same community while continuing other garbage-disposal and waste-collection activities is simply and clearly unjust. We believe that to deny basic government services to the residents of this community is simply and clearly unjust.

Many Rogers-Eubanks Road residents remain forced to drink well water, which is vulnerable to toxic contamination. They remain without fire hydrants that would serve to protect life and property while praying they might somehow be spared should a fire occur. They live without bus service, but watch with incredulousness as out-of-service buses pass through their neighborhoods on a daily basis. They still await the park they were promised 25 years ago when the first municipal landfill was scheduled to close.

However, reversing the board's decision and finding justice for the Rogers-Eubanks Road community pale in comparison to the larger mission that Orange County must accomplish.

The question will still remain: What do we do with our waste? Do we continue to dump it irresponsibly? Do we simply burden another community?

We say let's begin by accepting the fact that continuing to bury garbage in (or transporting it to) one small low-income community of color does not justly or adequately solve Orange County's waste problem.

We say we cannot begin solving the problem without first ending the divisive and nonsensical rhetoric.

The Coalition to End Environmental Racism and the Rogers-Eubanks Road community will be using their energy to help the board find equitable ways to resolve our waste issues. We invite others to do the same: to walk with us into the future - as whole people, as whole communities, as whole towns, and as a whole county to work toward finding real solutions.