Community Mobilization for Environmental Problems: How a Grassro ...

memories of events change over time. In addition, people may have different versions of the history to tell based on their roles and statuses in the story. Foucault (1970) discussed the near impossibility of comprehensive history. His solution to this is the method of genealogy, through which he called for tracing the problem to its source and then comprehensively analyzing all possible influences and circumstances through time. My attempt at genealogy in this case follows a thread to a discussion of the Hickory Woods neighborhood just prior to the discovery of contamination and the community social movement response that followed it. The mobilization story in Hickory Woods begins in 1998, when a neighborhood of families in newly built homes and other established homes discovered a possible danger among them. It ends with no clear resolution. Instead, residents were left frustrated at what they saw as the government’s failure to take responsibility for citizen health and safety, a problem created by a lack of corporate responsibility for contaminated chemical waste products.

The South Buffalo Redevelopment Plan was put forth by city officials in 1986. At that time, the City of Buffalo acquired land from the Republic Steel Corporation. Republic Steel, then known as the LTV Steel Corporation, sold the parcels of vacant industrial land, former Donner Hanna Coke operations, to the city for $30,000.¹ Under this plan, subsidized loans were offered to potential buyers willing to purchase homes in this area. One goal of this city housing initiative was to encourage buyers to remain in the City of Buffalo, stopping the outward movement to the surrounding suburbs. By investing in a city community, housing officials attempted to recreate the newly built, subdivision feel within city limits. Many buyers were city employees who were required to reside within city limits; the City of Buffalo periodically enforces residency laws requiring city employees to maintain a residence in the city. This incentive program served that end, as well. Most homes were valued between $70,000 and $100,000. Buyers were offered subsidized loans covering up to $20,000 of the purchase price of the houses.