February Topic: Environmental Justice for Bingham Park

NOTE: Due to inclement weather and road conditions, we are moving this meeting to Zoom.

CLICK HERE to attend at 11am Tuesday, Feb. 3

Our Presenters are members of the Bingham Park Environmental Justice Team and will talk about the history of the site, bring us up to date on where we are now and where we want to go with Bingham Park.

Tiarra Brown-Watson:  

Tiarra Brown-Watson is a community organizer with experience advancing environmental justice through resident-led advocacy in East Greensboro. In her work with the Bingham Park Environmental Justice Team, she has served as a coordinator and liaison, prioritizing community voice, supporting resident leadership, and bridging relationships with key stakeholders to advance efforts toward full remediation.

Cheryl Johnson:

Cheryl Johnson is a dedicated community member and leader from the Willow Oaks Community, actively serving on the Bingham Park Environmental Justice Team. She prioritizes resident voices, supports team initiatives, and facilitates connections between community members and stakeholders. With a background in science, military service, and environmental advocacy, Cheryl brings expertise in leadership, public speaking, and community engagement to advance the full remediation and long-term safety of Bingham Park.

History: Between the 1920s and 1950s, Bingham Park served as an incinerator and landfill for waste from the U.S. military and Guilford County. Landfills weren’t lined back then, allowing for a host of adverse compounds to leach into the site’s soil and groundwater. Then, in the 1970s, the city covered up the landfill and called it Bingham Park.

Acknowledgement of the dangers in the park began in the 2000s when the park’s basketball court began to crack, which led NCDEQ to eventually designate the site as an inactive hazardous waste or pre-regulatory landfill.

The Bingham Park Environmental Justice Team was formed in 2022 by UNCG researchers through a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) project grant and is made up of residents living near Bingham Park. The team works in conjunction with key stakeholders to advocate for and educate community members, with the goal of ensuring the City fully remediates the environmental hazards posed by Bingham Park to residents of East Greensboro. In October 2024, the Greensboro City Council voted to “cap and cover” the park—a decision that would leave the site environmentally hazardous and create additional concerns for the surrounding community.

Climate Café is a time to get together, talk about climate, and participate in community action.

Note there is a parking lot onsite. Plan to arrive few minutes early to purchase coffee, other beverages, and snacks and to sign in.