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STATES: A-H

States A-Hresearch was compiled by:

Loraine Petrasovits, Julie Garskof, and Frederick Poindexter

Arizona

The Hopi and Navajo tribes are facing problems in Black Mesa Arizona with the scheduled expansion of the Peabody Coal’s “Black Mesa Project,” which is a dirty coal strip-mining operation. The detriment to the residents should these mines be permitted to re-open could force them to relocate. A proposition that many residents are highly opposed to; the tribal is sacred to their cultural survival.

As of December 8, 2008The U.S. Office of Surface Mining (OSM) was preparing to make a decision regarding the Peabody proposal. It’s assumed that if the OSM rules in favour of Peabody Coal, the company would be given the rights to use the Navajo Aquifer, encompassing a 5000 square mile region which has been the topic of controversy since 1979. The Peabody mining company have made a request to mine the untouched coal reserves indefinitely.

Enei Begaye, Co-Director of the Black Mesa Water Coalition is advocating for the Hopi and Navajo families living in Black Mesa against possible eviction and displacement. Overall, the project renewal would:

  • Establish permanent mining rights until the coal runs out or until at least 2026!
  • Substantially accelerate global climate disruption and cause an ecological meltdown.
  • Destroy thousands of acres of pristine canyon lands, causing animal and plant ecology and cultural sites to vanish.
  • Increase the detonation of coal on a daily basis, affecting air quality and health of miners, local residents, and their livestock.
  • Deplete the already scarce water tables and regional aquifer that are all essential to residential survival.
  • Uproot & relocate families from their ancestral homelands due to coal mining expansion.
  • Sacrifice human dignity and planetary health for elite profit! Peabody would cause many more problems than what is reflected here. Its roots remain sunk deeply in the history of colonial genocide, corporate power grabs, and ecological devastation (Black Mesa Coalition).

Dennis Winterringer
Western Regional Office
Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement
P.O. Box 46667
Denver, CO 80201-6667
Phone: 303-844-1400, ext 1440
email:

OR

Dirk Kempthorne
Secretary
Department of Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.20240
e-mail:

for more information please call (928) 213-5909, cell# (928)
380-6296, cell # (928) 637-5281
or e-mail

Alabama

Residents’ returning to their homes on South Tonti Street, a lower Mid-City neighbourhood in Picayune, Mobile Alabama, after the devastation of hurricane Katrina, faces an imminent threat of once again being displaced. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and LouisianaStateUniversity intends to build a medical campus across 70 acres. The developers for the project believe that the blight and abandonment of existing homes detracts from the city’s revitalization efforts.

After hurricane Katrina, many homeowners living in or around South Tonti Street were able to renovate or rebuild their homes with assistance from FEMA. Now less that one year after returning home they are asked to relocate. Mayor Ray Nagin who has approved this new development states that the future of the city requires a “one-of-a-kind biomedical district” which will require the demolition of scores of homes and small business. Although, within four miles of the proposed project there’s a hospital and a medical complex which belong to the LouisianaStateUniversity that has sat abandoned for several years. Therefore, residents who are forced to move are demanding answers from the city for the number of vacant medical buildings around the city which could be revitalized.

Despite insistence from Louisiana State University System officials say that they have made a final decision to build a new academic medical complex in lower Mid-City, opponents of the plan continue to lobby for an audience with Gov. Bobby Jindal and his administration's top health care executive. Their objective is to convince the Governor and the Department of Health and Hospital’s Secretary Alan Levine, that gutting and rebuilding Charity Hospital from within represents a better option for taxpayers, future medical students’ and patients.

To date it would appear that residents may lose the fight the stay in their homes. The project is expected to be completed by 2013.

Bill Barrow, an opponent of this development can be reached at or 504.826.3452.

Alaska

The Shishmaref Inlet is a coastal lagoon on the Chukchi Sea-facing shores of Alaska. It is 5 miles in length.The location of the Shishmaref Inlet is SW 17 mi. to the SW from Sarichef Island, at the mouth of the Serpentine River, Kotzebue-Kobuk Low. 66°18′N 161°19′W / 66.3°N 161.317°W / 66.3; -161.317.This lagoon was named Shishmaref Bay in 1816 by explorer Lt. Otto von Kotzebue, of the Imperial Russian Navy, after Capt. Lt. Gleb Shishmaryov who accompanied him on his exploration.

The village of Shishmaref in N. Alaska, inhabited for 400 years, is facing evacuation due to rising temperatures, which are causing a reduction in sea ice and thawing of permafrost along the coast. The reduced sea ice allows higher storm surges to reach the shore and the thawing permafrost makes the shoreline more vulnerable to erosion. As a result, the homes, the water system and the island infrastructure has been destabilized.

The community of Shishmaref is situated on a barrier island that is1/4 mile wide and 3 miles long or 75 sq miles. The island is comprised of fine sand deposits and permafrost that is vulnerable to erosion. The community has experienced erosion of its north shoreline an average of 3-5 feet per year, except for the storms of November 9, and10, 1973, October 4, 1997, and October 7, 2001, which is noticeably reducing the size of the island. The village is most vulnerable when tidal high water is combined with intense wave action of the ChukchiSea during storms. Erosion has been heightened by continual degradation of permafrost. An average high tide is 3 feet above the normal tide, during storms; the wave action can increase the high tide by 3 feet, which causes the waves to crest over the bluff.

The loss of land through erosive action and increasing risk to property and lives has caused a dangerous situation for the hamlet of Shishmaref. The people have determined that staying on the island to face the ever-present threat from ocean-based storms is no longer an option. The only viable solution is to relocate to a nearby mainland location that is accessible to the sea, suitable for their subsistence lifestyle. Changing arctic conditions have caused these recent shifts in the rate and pattern of land loss along the coastlines. The changes include declining sea ice extent, increasing summertime sea-surface temperature, rising sea level, and increases in storm power and corresponding wave action

Together, the residents have taken the first step by establishing an erosion and relocation coalition made up of the governing members of the City, the Indian Reorganization Act Council, and the Shishmaref Native Corporation Board of Directors.

Take Action
To donate with a check please make check payable to:
Shishmaref IRA Council
P.O. Box 72110
Shishmaref, Alaska 99772
Or call Tony Weyiouanna
Phone: 907-649-2289
Fax: 907-649-4461
Support the Shishmaref Village Relocation Project PDF.

Displacement is usually a term or a concept reserved for low-income minorities. People that have been forced out of their respective neighborhoods due to rising property values and the higher taxes that accompany them or, in the more extreme cases, eminent domain. This concept has many names and many faces. Just a brief search on the Internet and you’ll find that it travels with other concepts like gentrification, and hides behind terms like renewal, redevelopment, or revitalization. The overwhelming majority of the cases that are seen happen to be urban. It would lead one to believe that it is simply a symptom of modern civilization, or some sort of capitalistic side-effect of urban living. But one who subscribes to such a theory is only partially correct. Displacement is not confined within city limits. It is not bound by economic jurisdiction. This term travels to the farthest and most remote corners of society. And it is not reserved solely for citizens or residents, as they outspend another segment of the population. Sometimes, the instigators of these cases are the very governments built to protect and serve the victims. The following cases, encompassing five states (CO, CT, DE, FL, GA), will demonstrate the reach, the frequency, and the forms which displacement occurs in this country.

COLORADO

The above photograph is the city of Fountain, Colorado. The highlighted veterinary clinic belongs to James and Patty Graf. The highway in this photo belongs to the city. The local government has formed the Fountain Urban Renewal Authority with the intention of redeveloping a large portion of the city. Its first project involves widening the highway above and developing 17 acres of land surround the clinic. The Grafs were the most outspoken opponents of these plans. Patty Graf campaigned for the expulsion of Fountain’s elected officials and has even tried to discourage new businesses from entering the city. Part of the 17 acre redevelopment project includes 276 units of “military” housing for soldiers at a nearby station. The city would receive approximately $30 million from private developer, Place Properties.

ASSISTING ORGANIZATIONS

Other than the Grafs themselves, there have been no other opposing parties, or more accurately, none as vocal in this case. However, there are civic organizations in the area that address displacement issues:

  • Independence Institute- “a non-partisan, non-profit public policy research organization dedicated to providing timely information to concerned citizens, government officials, and public opinion leaders.” (Taken from
  • Property Rights Project- “The Independence Institute’s Property Rights Project, established in 2005, was designed to tell the story of families and small business owners facing property rights abuses.” (Taken from
  • Contact: Jessica Corry, , 303-279-6536

CONNECTICUT

In 1954, New Haven, Connecticut was slated to become a ‘Model City.’ It would showcase the effective brilliance of urban renewal. Neighborhoods were transformed blocks at a time. After the dust settled on the redevelopment in 1969, more than 25,000 people had been displaced.

Yale University’s study on this topic has provided information on each neighborhood before and after their respective renewal projects were completed:

Neighborhood / Before Renewal / Post-Renewal Projects
Oak Street / Recent immigrants, Italian, Eastern European Jewish, lots of small family businesses / Rt. 34 Connector, modernist buildings
Church Street / Downtown’s small commercial buildings / Chapel Square Mall, Temple Street Garage
Dixwell / African-American, older church and commercial buildings / Strip-mall, co-op housing projects
Wooster Square / Italian-American residents, historic buildings / Interstate 91 expansion, industrial buildings, Conte School
State Street / Downtowns older, historic buildings / Interstate 91 expansion
Long Wharf / 100 acre plot of land on the banks of New Haven Harbor / Regional food terminal, industrial buildings, CT Turnpike/ Interstate 95
Hill / predominantly African-American, blighted buildings / Public housing projects

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The citizens of New Haven were faced with a very unique problem in their time. Urban Renewal was a fresh concept and people generally weren’t well-equipped to handle issues regarding eminent domain. The mayor actually formed the Citizens Actions Commission, composed of local neighborhood and business leaders, to consult on renewal projects. In actuality, these members were relatively under-informed and were unable to apply the political pressure that a freestanding organization was capable of.

The Case of New London, Connecticut – Kelo v. City of New London

The Fort Trumbull neighborhood of New London, CT was subjected to one of the worst abuses of eminent domain in history. The New London Development Corporation employed the use of eminent domain to seize homeowners’ property, for the purpose of private development. The case lasted for several years as it garnered national attention from its U.S. Supreme Court ruling. Susette Kelo, the homeowner who became a national symbol, was able to have her home moved to a different location. The rest of the homes in the neighborhood were demolished. The demolition was meant to set the stage for a new development to complement the new Pfizer facility nearby. Presently, no such development has materialized.

ASSISTING ORGANIZATIONS

  • Institute for Justice- “The nation's only libertarian public interest law firm, we engage in cutting-edge litigation and advocacy both in the courts of law and in the court of public opinion on behalf of individuals whose most basic rights are denied by the government.” (Taken from
  • Castle Coalition- “The Castle Coalition is the Institute for Justice’s nationwide grassroots property rights activism project. The Castle Coalition teaches home and small business owners how to protect themselves and stand up to the greedy governments and developers who seek to use eminent domain to take private property for their own gain.” (Taken from

The Institute for Justice was instrumental in forming the case and bringing to the highest court in the country. Their litigation, not only bought time for the residents, it also provided them with a fighting chance that the homeowners could not produce on their own. The Castle Coalition is credited with bringing this case to the public on a national level. In response to Kelo v. City of New London, they launched the ‘Hands Off My Home’ campaign, which was “an aggressive initiative to effect significant and substantial reforms of state and local eminent domain laws” (

DELAWARE

Following the Kelo v. City of New London ruling and the Hands Off My Home campaign, several states addressed their own eminent domain issues by placing tighter restrictions on its usage. Delaware was one of the early adopters. In 2008, Ruth Ann Minner, former Governor of Delaware, vetoed a bill that would’ve fortified those restrictions in her state. On the heels of the veto, a grand proposal for the redevelopment of South Wilmington was launched. This presents a grave problem for 62 businesses and property owners in Wilmington, Delaware, who are subject to government seizure of the land. No development has taken place, but the bill has been proposed once again. It has already passed the state Senate, and current Governor Jack Markell has vowed to sign the bill into law, if it passes the state House.

ASSISTING ORGANIZATIONS

  • Castle Coalition- As seen above
  • Delawareans’ Freedom Coalition
  • Ackerman, Ackerman, & Dynkowkski- “the Ackerman name has been synonymous with integrity and excellence in eminent domain litigation. The firm has helped hundreds of clients, large and small, urban and rural, collect hundreds of millions of dollars in fair compensation from settlements, mediation and jury verdicts.” (Taken from
  • Contact: Alan T. Ackerman
    Ackerman Ackerman & Dynkowski
    100 W. Long Lake Road
    Suite 210
    Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304
    Tel: 248.537.1155
    Fax: 248.594.4433
    Email:

FLORIDA

In Miami, Florida there is a very high concentration of Bahamians in the Coconut Grove community. Their neighborhood has been targeted by officials for a renewal project. In the short-term, the ‘Grove Village on Grand’ project is set to transform 6 blocks of Coconut Grove. The long-term effects could be much worse with the property values set to rise from such an undertaking. It is a $300 million dollar development headed by private developer Pointe Group Advisors. The more affluent and less diverse areas of the city will remain lagely unaffected.

ASSISTING ORGANIZATIONS

  • Village West Homeowners and Tenants Association
  • Contact: Pierre Sands, P.O. Box 331389, Miami, FL 33133
  • RENT- (Regional Equity for Neighborhoods and Tenants) is a branch of Miami Workers Center,whichhelps working class people build grassroots organizations and develop their leadership capacity through aggressive community organizing campaigns and education programs. The Center also actively builds coalitions and enters alliances to amplify progressive power and win racial, community, social, and economic justice. Through its combined efforts the Center has taken on issues around welfare reform, affordable housing, tenants and voter rights, racial justice, gentrification and economic development, and fair trade. (Taken from
  • Contact: Joseph Phelan, 786-261-5788, joseph@ theworkerscenter.org

Little Haiti

The Little Haiti community in Miami is more a case of collateral damage, rather than direct displacement. The Miami Design District and Edgewater border the Haitian neighborhood. Unfortunately, those are two of the most rapidly developing areas in the city. The combination of art galleries, boutiques, bars, restaurants, night clubs, and multi-million dollar condos are driving up property values in a place where the poverty rate is 44% (Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta). As a result, many of these poor residents have no choice, but to relocate to a more affordable community.

There are currently plans in place to contruct affordable housing for families and the elderly. The project is being spearheaded by The YMCA of Greater Miami, Biscayne Housing Group, and Carlisle Development Group. The $23 million ‘Village Carver project is set to provide 309 units of affordable housing. Each building will contain a gym, library, community center, and computer lab. All this is aimed at strenghtening the infrastructure in one of Miami’s most culturally vibrant communities (Laura Morales, Miami Herald-