Growing up in Delaware City, Delaware, I lived in the shadow of an oil refinery, a chemical plant and within the 10-mile emergency zone of the Salem Nuclear Power Plant. Growing up, I was taught by my grandmother, who retired from Delaware’s emergency management, the fine line between progress and public safety.

Now living in Essex — just miles from the Back River Wastewater Treatment Plant — I’m reminded that environmental hazards aren’t distant memories. They are current, local and persistent.

Recent reports from Salisbury (The state knew about toxic chemicals in Perdue’s wastewater. Residents had no idea, April 21, 2025) reveal PFAS contamination — commonly known as “forever chemicals” — in groundwater near Perdue AgriBusiness. These toxic substances, linked to cancer and other serious health risks, were found in residential wells. Perdue is now offering water treatment, but only after families were exposed.

Closer to home, an environmental report confirms that the soil and groundwater around the former World War II aircraft plant in Middle River are contaminated from decades of chemical dumping. For years, residents raised children, drank the water and breathed the air — without knowing the risk.

This isn’t an isolated incident. These are patterns. For decades, working-class communities across the Delmarva region have been left vulnerable to pollution with little oversight or accountability.

While some companies take steps to correct the damage, that’s not enough. We need proactive, fact-based policies — regular testing, full transparency, and ongoing health monitoring — before harm is done. And we need stronger community engagement in decisions that affect our neighborhoods.

From Delaware City to Salisbury to Baltimore County, too many of us have paid the price for pollution we didn’t cause. These crises remind us: Environmental justice is not optional. It is urgent.

We must demand accountability — from corporations and elected leaders — and invest in infrastructure that protects our health, our homes and our future.

Sharonda Dillard-Huffman is a candidate for Baltimore County Council and lives in Essex.