East Tennessee State University
Archives of Appalachia
Box 70295
Johnson City, Tennessee 37614
E-mail: archives@etsu.edu
Telephone: (423) 439-4338
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Title: |
Tennesseans Against Chemical Hazards Records |
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Collection Number: |
Accession No. 407 |
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Physical Description: |
4.5 linear feet (9 manuscript boxes) |
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Creator: |
Tennesseans Against Chemical Hazards (TEACH) |
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Repository: |
Archives of Appalachia, East Tennessee State University |
Provenance: The records of Tennesseans Against Chemical Hazards were donated to the Archives of Appalachia in 1992 by Shirley Harkins of Concord, Tennessee.
Access: The records are open for research.
Processing Information: Processing of the collection was completed in 1996 by Marie Tedesco and E.Evans.
HISTORICAL NOTE
In March 1980, citizens from communities concerned about chemical hazards founded Tennesseans Against Chemical Hazards (TEACH) at the culmination of a workshop held at the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market, Tennessee. In October of that year the group was incorporated in the state of Tennessee as a non-profit organization, with its principal office in Medon, Tennessee. A coalition of citizen groups from across the state, TEACH's members had fought against illegal dumping of toxic materials and toxic contamination. It directed many of its activities toward educating communities about the hazards of toxic chemicals and nuclear waste. TEACH also lobbied at the state and federal levels for passage of legislation designed to protect communities from chemical hazards.
TEACH worked with community groups throughout the state of Tennessee. For example, TEACH helped citizens in the Hollywood and Frayser areas of North Memphis and rural Hardeman County concerned with contamination from dumping of toxic materials by Velsicol Chemical Company. Other citizen groups affiliated with TEACH included the Bumpass Cove Citizens Group of Erwin, Tennessee (illegal dumping of toxics in the Bumpass Cove landfill) and the Sullivan County Concerned Citizens of Blountville, Tennessee (air and other types of pollution in the county).
TEACH relied on grant money from foundations and funds obtained locally to support its educational and direct-action efforts. Support came from the Izaak Walton League and the JC Penney Foundation. Vanderbilt's Center for Health Services provided support through chemical analysis of water and soil samples; the Highlander Center provided expertise in research; and the Tennessee Committee on Occupational Safety and Health shared knowledge on federal and state environmental legislation.
Among the individuals active in TEACH were Nell Grantham of Hardeman County, the first chairperson of TEACH; staff persons Maura Doherty and Shirley Harkins; and members Rob and Carol Searcy of Smyrna, Tennessee. As of 1992, TEACH was known as Partnership for Democracy.
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The collection consists of materials which document the operation of the TEACH office, as well as the activities of the organization. Included are minutes of board meetings, grant proposals, TEACH's charter and bylaws, clippings and published reports on environmental hazards in Tennessee and other states, and articles and reports on activities of environmental groups in Tennessee and other geographical regions. The records date from 1973 through 1983.
Organization: The collection is organized into three series: Series I, Office Files, 1978-83; Series II, Reports, Studies, and Clippings, 1974-83; and Series III, Geographical Files, 1975-83.
Oversized Materials: Oversized maps, newsclippings, and newsletters have been placed in oversized folders and stored in the map cabinets by accession number. Each oversized folder contains a listing of its contents, and the original box and folder location of the documents.
Breed Reactor Corporation
Bumpass Cove Citizens Group
Clinch River Breeder Reactor Plant Project
SEE: Breeder Reactor Corporation
Cypress Health and Safety Committee (Memphis, Tenn.)
Frayser Health and Safety Committee (Memphis, Tenn.)
Hazardous wastes--Tennessee
Highlander Research and Education Center (Knoxville, Tenn.)
Radioactive waste disposal--Tennessee
Tennesseans Against Chemical Hazards
Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Committee
Vanderbilt University. Center for Health Services
*Click on the link to go to that series or subseries in the Box and Folder List.
Series I contains material on the organization of the group and on the day-to-day operations of the TEACH office. Included are the charter and bylaws of TEACH, financial documents, mailing lists, planning committee records, and correspondence. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Series II includes reports, studies, and clippings on environmental and related health issues used by the TEACH staff for informational and educational purposes. Materials are arranged alphabetically by subject or title of document.
Series III consists of files of locations which had experienced the effects of chemical hazards or which contained citizen groups which were TEACH members. The series includes locations in Tennessee and other states. Materials are arranged alphabetically by geographical location.
*Click on the link to go that series or subseries in the Series Description.
1. Blair, Betsy, Intern, July 15-October 30, 1981 and undated
2. Board of Directors, August 1979
3. Board of Directors, Meeting Minutes, February 20, 1980- February 5, 1983
4. Board of Directors, Reports, February 21-June 9, 1983 and undated
5. Budgets, samples, September 1980-April 1983
6. Center for Health Services (Vanderbilt University), April 1981-May 6, 1982 and undated
7. Charter and By-Laws, October 8, 1980-February 5, 1983 and undated
8. Contacts, TEACH, November 21, 1979-July 15, 1981 and undated
9. Correspondence, February 6, 1981-June 9, 1983
10. Correspondence, incoming, February 1980-January 13, 1982 and undated
11. Foundations, May 1978-March 3, 1981 and undated
12. Fundraising, 1980-83 and undated
1. Grant proposals, September 30, 1980-February 13, 1983
2. Grant Proposals, Citizens Fighting Chemical Contamination, 1982
3. Mailing List, January 31, 1983 and undated
4. Mailings to members, February 16, 1983 and undated
5. Membership list, undated
6. Meetings, March 16, 1980-November 13, 1982
7. Newsclippings, July 1979-June 9, 1983
8. Newsletter materials, 1981-82 and undated
9. Newsletters, 1977-81
10. Planning committee, March 1981-April 13, 1983 and undated
11. Press releases, September 18, 1979-May 7, 1983 and undated
12. Public participation in the control of toxic substance, 1980 and undated
13. Receipts for expenses 1983, March 10-May 13, 1983
14. Research, undated
15. Resources, people, undated
16. SCA Chemical Services Company, March 16-June 25, 1981 and undated
1. Southeast Toxics Action Coalition, June 11, 1982-June 12, 1983 and undated
2. Southern Appalachian Leadership Training (SALT), October 18- October 25, 1980 and undated
3. Student Environment Health Program (STEHP), July 21, 1980- December 1981 and undated
4. Superfund, January 29, 1982-May 11, 1983 and undated
5. Superfund Notification Sites, January-April 1983
6. Tax-exempt status, March 1979-January 3, 1983 and undated
7. Tennessee Committee on Occupational Health and Safety (TNCOSH), June 1979-November 1982
8. Tennessee information exchange, March 4-March 28, 1983
9. Tennessee Sierra Club Proposal, 1983
10. "Toxics In Tennessee Project" proposal, 1983
11. Training Workshops, February 7-20, 1982
12. Video, May 17, 1979-November 26, 1980 and undated
13. Alternatives to the land proposal of hazardous wastes; an assessment for California, 1981
14. Cancer mortality study, The Farm, December 14, 1982
15. Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project, May 26, 1983 and undated
16. Dioxin Clippings, 1983
17. Emergency response, February 27, 1980 and undated
18. Energy, December 1979 and undated
19. Hazardous wastes materials, November 4, 1974-November 18, 1980
1. Hazardous wastes facility siting, November 1982 and undated
2. Hazardous wastes/landfill, inventories, 1 of 2, June 1, 1979- May 11, 1983
3. Hazardous wastes/landfill, inventories, 2 of 2, June 1, 1979- May 11, 1983
4. Hazardous wastes legislation, 1983
5. Hazardous wastes materials, November 20, 1980-February 19, 1981 and undated
6. Health/Chemicals, effects, July 1978-March 10, 1981 and undated
7. Health Statistics, 1968-February 22, 1981 and undated
8. Health Surveys, November 1980-April 13, 1981 and undated
9. Herbicides, 1978-83
10. Infant Mortality, July 28-October 1, 1980
11. Lab Testing, undated
12. Land disposal of hazardous waste, March 1982
1. Legislation, 1979-Mary 6, 1981
2. Nuclear waste transportation and storage, 1978-82
3. Nuclear waste transportation and storage, 1983
4. Occupational Health, January 20-October 6, 1979
5. OSHA Environmental Network, June 18-July 20, 1981
6. Pesticides, March 1974-July 26, 1981 and undated
7. Radiation, April 28, 1977-July 6, 1981 and undated
8. Synfuels - Bill to repeal Energy Security Act, March 26, 1982- February 10, 1983 and undated
9. Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Standards Association, 1970-1978 and undated
10. Waste Treatment Recycling, etc, January 16, 1980-January 14, 1983 and undated
1. Water pollution, 1976-January 1980
2. Water pollution, 1981 and undated
3. Yellow Creek Concerned Citizens, January-June 20, 1983
4. Youth Project, May 12-October 1981 and undated
5. Alabama, June 16, 1980
6. Anderson County, Tennessee, September 4, 1979 and undated
7. Bumpass Cove, Tennessee, February 11, 1975-November 1978
8. Bumpass Cove, Tennessee, 1979
9. Bumpass Cove, Tennessee, January 22-December 7, 1980
10. Bumpass Cove, Tennessee, January 10-June 17, 1981 and undated
1. Bumpass Cove, Tennessee, undated
2. Bumpass Cove, Tennessee, water quality report, February 26, 1979
3. Chattanooga, Tennessee, December 17, 1974-May 16, 1981 and undated
4. Cocke County, Tennessee, October 4, 1979-January 10, 1980 and undated
5. Cypress Health and Safety Committee (Memphis, Tennessee), 1966-April 1980
6. Cypress Health and Safety Committee (Memphis, Tennessee), June 13-November 13, 1980
7. Cypress Health and Safety Committee (Memphis, Tennessee), 1981-82
1. Erwin, Tennessee, May 9, 1978-February 17, 1981 and undated
2. Frayser and Cypress Press Clippings (Memphis, Tennessee, 1979- 81 and undated
3. Georgia, February 3-April 6, 1981
4. Hardeman County, Tennessee, June 28, 1975-August 17, 1981 and undated
5. Hickman County, Tennessee, February 1980-June 2, 1981 and undated
6. Kentucky, November 26, 1979-February 22, 1981 and undated
7. Kingsport, Tennessee, January 20, 1979-July 15, 1980 and undated
8. Love Canal, New York, August 5, 1977-August 5, 1978 and undated
1. Maps (Tennessee and Kentucky), 1977 and undated
2. Maury County, Tennessee, January 1980-March 8, 1981
3. Middlesburg, Kentucky, August 19, 1980-January 1982 and undated
4. Philadelphia, Loudon County, Tennessee, landfill, March 1982- March 7, 1983 and undated
5. Smyrna, Tennessee, October 12, 1979-February 12, 1981 and undated
6. Sullivan County, Tennessee, March 15, 1976-May 29, 1981
7. Sullivan County, Tennessee, April 13, 1981-May 14, 1981
8. Sullivan County, Tennessee, undated
9. Wayne County, Tennessee, Waynesboro Dump, August 31, 1979- March 27, 1983 and undated
10. Wilsonville, Illinois, November 26, 1979 and May 29, 1980
11. Woodstock, Tennessee, People of (Memphis area), June 14, 1980- May 28, 1981
12. Woodstock, Tennessee, People of (Memphis area), June 10, 1981- March 3, 1983 and undated
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
* The notation following the index item refers to the box and folder location of the item within the the collection.
Agent Orange Dossier: 1-10, 4-6
Alabama: 6-5
"Alternatives to the Land Disposal of Hazardous Wastes": 3-13
"And Don't Go Near the Water": 2-7
Anderson County, Tennessee: 6-6Appalachian Health Providers - mailing list: 1-8
Appalachian Student Health Coalition: 3-8
Appalachian Technical Network: 1-8
Bellevue Dump: 7-7
Blair, Betsy: 1-1Board of directors, selection of: 1-2
Breathers' Declaration - clean air laws: 1-10
Bumpass Cove Citizens Group: 1-8, 2-6, 6-9, 6-10. 7-1
Bumpass Cove Citizens Group, Inc. - Charter: 7-1
Bumpass Cove Mine and Embreeville, The: 7-1
- Bumpass Cove, Tennessee: 6-7, 6-8, 6-9, 6-10, 7-1, 8-1
- -Water Quality Report: 7-2
- California - Hazardous waste: 3-13
Cancer Mortalities in Tennessee: 3-14
Cocke County, Tennessee: 7-4
Center for Health Services Budget- - Vanderbilt University: 1-6.
Center for Health Services Newsletter - Vanderbilt University: 1-6, 2-8- -Minutes - Vanderbilt University: 1-6, 2-6
-Press Release: 2-11- Chattanooga: 7-3
Chattanooga Creek: 1-1, 4-8, 7-3
Chattanooga - Velsicol Chemical Corporation: 7-3
Chemical Pollutants in Human Milk: 1-8Chemical Glossary: 2-2
Chemicals in the Environment Conference: 1-1, 2-8
Citizens groups: 1-8, 1-9, 1-10, 2-2, 2-6, 2-8, 2-9, 2-10
Clean Water News: 2-9
Clinch River Breeder Reactor Project at Oak Ridge: 3-15
- Congressional Districts of Tennessee - Map: 1-8
Corporate Crime of the Century, The: 2-8
Cypress Health and Safety Committee: 2-6, 7-5, 7-6, 7-7, 8-2- -Press Clippings: 8-2
- Dioxin: 3-16
Dump Sites in Tennessee: 3-5, 3-19
EPA: 2-7, 2-8, 2-11, 3-19
Emergency Response: 3-17
Energy: 3-18
Environmental Health: 1-1, 1-8, 1-10
Environmental Health Project - Vanderbilt Hospital: 1-6
Erwin, Tennessee: 8-1
Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: 8-1
Fish contamination: 6-8
Foundation and grant information and funding: 1-11, 1-12, 2-1
Frayser CDC Study: 4-8- -Health and Safety Committee: 2-6, 7-5, 8-2, 9-11
-Press Clippings: 8-2Georgia - Heard County: 8-3
Gore, Albert, Jr.: 1-4
Government in the Sunshine: 2-14
Grantwriting: 1-12
Hardeman County, Tennessee: 8-4
- Harkins, Shirley: 1-4
Hazardous Waste Citizens' Conference: 2-9
Hazardous Waste Dump Sites in Tennessee: 1-4, 1-8, 9-9
Hazardous waste: 1-8, 1-9, 2-2, 2-8, 2-11, 2-15, 3-4, 3-7, 3-9, 3-10, 3-11, 3-19, 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, 4-4, 4-5,- 4-12, 5-1, 5-2, 5-3, 7-1, 7-5, 8-3, 8-5, 9-4, 9-6, 9-9, 9-12
- Health and Safety issues: 3-7, 3-12
Health Effects of Chemicals-research: 2-14
Health Statistics: 4-7
Health Surveys: 4-8
Herbicides: 4-9, 5-6
Hickman County, Tennessee: 8-5Hickman County Against Lethal Trash (H.A.L.T.): 3-1
Highlander Research and Education Center: 1-9, 2-9, 2-10, 3-1
Hollywood Health Survey: 4-8
Hollywood Dump: 7-5, 7-6, 7-7, 8-2
Honicker vs. United States, et al., 1981: 1-10Humanity Against Lethal Trash (HALT): 1-9
Infant mortality: 4-10
Jones and Church Farms: 8-1
Kentucky - maps: 9-1
Kentucky - Middlesboro: 9-3Kentucky - toxic waste: 8-6
Kingsport, Tennessee: 8-7
Legal Foundation, Inc.: 1-1
Legislation: 5-1
Loudon County, Tennessee: 9-4Love Canal, New York: 8-8
Love Canal Children - Leftover Lives to Live: 2-7, 2-8
Maury County, Tennessee: 9-2
Mother Jones Magazine, 1981: 2-8
NASA waste treatment lagoon: 6-5Nuclear Fuel Services, Inc.: 8-1
Nuclear pollution and waste: 1-8, 2-7, 5-2, 5-3, 5-7
Occupational Health: 5-4, 5-6
Organizations Concerned with Environmental Issues: 1-8
OSHA Environmental Network: 5-5
Pesticides: 5-6, 9-12
Radiation: 5-7, 8-1, 8-7
Receipts: 2-13
Research: 2-14
Resource People: 2-15Right to Know in Tennessee: 3-1
Savannah Area Health Study: 4-8, 8-2
SCA Chemical Services Company: 2-16, 9-11, 9-12
Shelby County, Tennessee: 9-11
Sierra Club: 1-8, 3-1, 3-9, 4-5Smyrna, Tennessee: 9-5
Solid waste: 9-6
Solicitation of Charitable Funds Act - Tennessee: 1-7
Southeast Toxics Action Coalition: 3-1
Southeast Toxics Action Conference: 3-1Southern Appalachian Leadership Training: 3-2
Southern Regional Council: 2-14
Special Waste: 9-6
Student Environmental Health Project: 3-3, 9-12
Sullivan County Concerned Citizens: 2-6, 9-6, 9-7, 9-8
- Sullivan County, Tennessee: 9-6, 9-7, 9-8
SUPERFUND: 1-8, 2-4, 3-4, 3-5, 3-19, 4-2
Synfuels: 5-8
TEACH -Board meeting minutes: 1-3, 2-6- -Budget: 1-3, 1-5, 1-7, 6-4
-Charter and By-Laws: 1-7
-Coalition members: 2-6
-fundraising: 1-4, 3-10
-Internship Program: 6-4
-Membership list: 2-3, 2-5
-Training Workshops: 3-11, 6-4
-Youth Project: 6-4- Tennessee - Annual Solid Waste Conference-membership list: 2-4
Tennessee Acorn Hazardous Materials Platform: 1-10
Tennessee Committee on Occupational Safety and Health: 3-7
Tennessee Eastman Company: 8-7
Tennessee Information Exchange: 3-8
Tennessee - maps: 9-1Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Standards Association: 5-9
Tennessee State Government 1979-80: 5-1
Toone-Teague Road Citizens Group: 2-6
Uranium Workers - Jonesborough, Tennessee: 1-8
Videotapes: 3-12Wayne County, Tennessee: 9-9
Waste Treatment: 5-10, 6-6
Water Pollution 6-1, 6-2
"Water, Water Everywhere": 2-7, 6-1
Water and Wastewater testing: 4-11Wilsonville, Illinois: 9-10
Wolfe Valley Community Development Association: 2-6, 6-6
Women - Pregnant coal miners: 2-9
Woodstock, The People of, Tennessee: 9-11, 9-12
Yellow Creek Concern Citizens Group: 1-8, 2-2, 3-1, 3-3, 3-6, 6-3, 9-3
Youth Project: 6-4
MTC 06/01 - modified GKY 03/08/02