Endocritrination 101: Asheville premiere of ‘My Toxic Backyard’ set for May 8

05/07/2014

From press release:

Native Ashevillian and Emmy Award-winning Filmmaker Katie Damien will host the North Carolina premiere of her documentary “My Toxic Backyard” with CTS Corp. v. Waldburger litigant and congressional candidate Tate MacQueen

Join Katie Damien and Tate MacQueen this Thursday, May 8th, 7:00pm at the Asheville Fine Arts Theatre, 36 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801. Following the screening, Katie, Aaron Penland, also featured in the documentary, and Tate will discuss the film, the recent victory of city water lines extended to the impacted community, and the CTS Corp. v. Waldburger case argued before the Supreme Court of the U.S. on April 23.
Tickets are $7.00 for seniors and $9.75 for adults.

My Toxic Backyard,fiveyears in the making, documents the residents of a South Asheville community whose well water was contaminated by CTS, a multimillion-dollar, manufacturing plant and what happened when Tate MacQueen and other Mills Gap residents banded together to fight for clean, safe drinking water and against one of the worst Superfund sites in the country. The old site continues leaking carcinogens into well water 25 years after the threat was first reported to Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 4 Office. Tragically, many have died and scores of people are sick and as the CTS site continues to pollute.

Due  in large part to Tate’s and his communities’ years-long struggle to receive assistance from Congressional representatives and the EPA, while repeatedly running up against apathy, inaction, and absentee leadership, Tate made the decision to run for the U.S. House of Representatives (NC-10).

Two weeks ago, Tate – as one of 24 plaintiffs in CTS Corp. v. Waldburger was in Washington, DC at the Supreme Court of the U.S. for oral arguments. Standing with Tate and the Mills Gap community were environmental advocate, Erin Brockovich, former U.S. Marine Jerry Ensminger whose former base, Camp Lejeune, experienced the same type of contamination for the same duration, Barry Durand, area chemist who was instrumental in bringing facts of CTS contamination to the public nearly 8 years ago, and others. A ruling, with far-reaching environmental consequences, is expected in June.

View trailers for:
My Toxic Backyard - www.mytoxicbackyard.com <http://www.mytoxicbackyard.com>
Semper Fi: Always Faithful - www.semperfialwaysfaithful.com <http://www.semperfialwaysfaithful.com>

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