Chester is RisingExplicit

by David DeMarco

Arson, break-ins, death threats, the Ku Klux Klan - all tried to stop her. Zulene Mayfield is a zealous resident whose family is being poisoned by one of the United States’ largest trash incinerators. Her hometown, the city of Chester, Pennsylvania, was invaded by a unique clustering of solid waste facilities in the late eighties and early nineties. Her activism fostered Supreme Court cases which sparked the US environmental j ...   ...  Read more
News Commentary
Earth Sciences
Documentary

Podcast episodes

  • Season 1

  • Episode 5 - Rise

    Explicit

    Episode 5 - Rise

    S01 E05
    47:37
    Explicit

    David confronts the incinerator and the state of Pennsylvania. In analyzing their responses, he begins to learn the true nature of modern-day environmental injustice. The series ends with a focus on personal, environmental, and political avenues which aid cities like Chester across the country.

  • Episode 4 - Schism

    Explicit

    Episode 4 - Schism

    S01 E04
    45:06
    Explicit

    Zulene returns to Chester to find the city moving in the opposite direction CRCQL intended. As she rebuilds CRCQL, David investigates the city's tight-knit relationship with the incinerator.

  • Episode 3 - National Sword

    Explicit

    Episode 3 - National Sword

    S01 E03
    36:13
    Explicit

    We take a break from Zulene's story and investigate the US global waste management system. David begins to learn the insidious way America handles waste.

  • Episode 2 Part 2 - Stormy Weather

    Explicit

    Episode 2 Part 2 - Stormy Weather

    S01 E02
    20:15
    Explicit

    As the incinerator opens its doors in the 90's, nearby neighborhoods grow increasingly concerned about the smoke and smells coming from the facility. With help from filmmaker Robert Bahar's 1997 documentary "Laid to Waste," we explore Chester's birth into the US environmental justice movement.

  • Episode 2 Part 1 - Stormy Weather

    Explicit

    Episode 2 Part 1 - Stormy Weather

    S01 E02
    21:06
    Explicit

    We go back in time to dive deep into Chester's history. The seed that germinated Chester's environmental problems was sowed long before the incinerator opened its doors. Part 1 explores the corrupt political machine that sold Chester's air in perpetuity.