Sierra Club, longtime environmental organization, spurring change, getting things done

Published August 21, 2012 in the Commercial Appeal

Scott Banbury, conservation chairman for the Sierra Club's local Chickasaw Group, describes the organization as the oldest environmental group in the nation.

"It's the largest truly authentic grass-roots democracy left in the country," says Don Richardson, the sustainability strategies chairman.

The Chickasaw Group of the Sierra Club represents more than 1,000 members in Memphis and West Tennessee. Nationally, the Sierra Club boasts more than 1.3 million members. The group advocates for policies that protect the natural environment, provides opportunities for people who want to develop leadership skills to help their community while enhancing the environment, offers hikes and outdoor recreation for people of all ages, and supports environmental candidates for public office.

Local environmental issues the group addresses take many forms. In the past, members worked hard to keep police stables, roads and memorial parks out of Overton Park; they helped force the Velsicol chemical company to dig up backyards and clean up pollution along Cypress Creek in North Memphis, and they are responsible for initiating the regionally important lawsuit that prevented developers in Brunswick from building housing developments in a flood plain.

Current hot topics include pollution issues and coal burning at the TVA Allen Fossil Plant, proposed plans to build a road through Shelby Farms Park, and raising community awareness about radioactive waste being allowed in two local landfills.

In April 2011, the Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors approved an agreement to phase out 18 units at dirty coal-fired power plants and install modern pollution controls on three dozen additional units, thanks to more than 15 years of pressure from environmental groups (including the Sierra Club), southeastern states and the EPA. The agreement — which includes the affected states of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee — represents the largest ever reduction in air pollution in the southeastern United States.

This agreement permanently retires an unprecedented 2,700 megawatts of coal-fired electricity and will drastically reduce TVA's emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, mercury and carbon pollution. The Clean Air Task Force estimates that coal-fired power plants in the region cause more than 1,800 premature deaths and more than 2,400 heart attacks each year in the four-state region, and are a major source of area air pollution woes.

According to Rita Harris, Sierra Club National staff in Memphis, the TVA Allen Fossil Plant tops the annual Shelby County Terrible Ten list of polluters in our area that contribute to unhealthy air quality. Harris uses the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory database for compiling her annual list.

The group believes this agreement to be among the greatest environmental achievements of late. "We'd like to see power generation replaced with efficient and clean energy sources, such as wind and solar," Banbury says. "If we used less energy, there would not be a demand for coal-fired plants." The group's Climate Action team is a part of a statewide coalition to address this issue.

Additionally, the group has an upcoming forum to discuss a proposed road construction project through Shelby Farms Park. "In 1998, we first opposed a sprawl-creating 16-wheeler truck roadway that excluded public input, and now it's an issue again," Richardson says. The group is concerned about the ongoing impact that the road would have on the Wolf River, the Lucius Birch State Natural Area, and surrounding mixed-use development.

"There's no reason to spend an exorbitant amount of money to build a road that only a few people will use," Banbury says.

The Sierra Club has a program meeting the third Thursday of every month. Those interested in hearing more about the Shelby Farms road should attend the forum at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library.

"We're local up. We're engaged locally, on the state level, and nationally. If you want to impact the community, the Sierra Club is for you, Banbury says.

Anyone interested in joining the group can attend the informal gatherings from 5:30-8 p.m. the first Thursday of the month at Otherlands Coffee Bar. Political chairman and outings co-chairman Mark Plumlee says the gatherings are as popular as the hikes and outings. "They are very friendly and unstructured," he says. "It's an easy place to come and ask questions."

Annual dues begin at $15 and include national and local membership.

The Sierra Club is a training ground for leaders. "We inspire people and give them the experience they need to start new initiatives," Banbury says. He and Richardson note that many local groups over the last dozen years came into being because of Chickasaw Group members, such as the Wolf River Conservancy, Friends of Shelby Farms Park, Chickasaw Bluffs Conservancy, Friends for Our Riverfront, Greater Memphis Greenline, Sustainable Shelby, Coalition for Livable Communities (pre-Livable Memphis) and Citizens to Preserve Overton Park.

"We empower individuals, build team leadership skills, and inform the public so that they can take action," Richardson says. "Our job is to give someone the confidence to stand up and say, 'The emperor has no clothes.'"

"If you are passionate about an issue that we're not covering locally, then do your thing, and we'll support you," Banbury says.

"We're not married to a limiting list of campaigns or causes," Richardson says. "We're an ongoing talent pool of people who help get things moving."

The Chickasaw Group has been active since 1978. Sue A. Williams, lead volunteer and group chairwoman, explains: "We're still influencing public policy and quality-of-life issues, usually behind the scenes, but with increasing extreme weather and other eco-economic concerns, the local Sierra Club is becoming more valuable than ever."

While many of the activities revolve around serious business, the group also knows how to have fun. Regular outings are scheduled, such as river floats, cleanups, hikes, and Downtown walks. The next outing is the annual Equinox Sunset Bluff Walk, which takes place at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 22 on the Memphis riverfront.

More information:

tennessee.sierraclub.org/chickasaw

facebook.com/Chickasaw.group

Shelby Farms Parkway (Kirby Parkway) & Shelby Farms Park Update Thursday 6 p.m., Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library, 3030 Poplar. The Sierra Club holds a panel discussion about the proposed Shelby Farms Parkway in Shelby Farms Park. The panel will include updates on the latest Environmental Impact Statement and justification for the parkway, highlight open issues about the parkway’s plans and provide updates on the Shelby Farms Park Master Plan, including park access/entry points, bike/ped connectivity and naturalist programs.

Programs contact: Susan Routon at mailto:susan.routon@gmail.com or 901-413-3888.

Monthly First Thursday Gathering: September 6, 5:30 p.m. Otherlands Coffee Bar, 641 S. Cooper. Sierra Club members, activists and friends meet in a casual setting to talk about issues and interests. First Thursday contact: Mark Plumlee at mark.chickasaw@gmail.com or 901-679-4622.