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Published on: 5/4/2005
Last Visited: 1/24/2008
Gail Eubanks is a physical education teacher who doesn't just want to organize schoolyard teams these days.She wants to organize neighborhoods into teams of problem-solvers that tackle tough issues affecting their families and surroundings.
That's how she became involved with FreshMinistries, where she works as coordinator for the group's environmental justice initiative on Jacksonville's Eastside.
There are plenty of polluted sites east of Springfield, Eubanks said, and she wants the residents to be knowledgeable about the levels of contamination, the sources and the potential solutions.More than that, she wants residents to get involved in prioritizing which contaminated sites need urgent cleanup and which can wait.
"I just want the Eastside residents to have what all residents of Jacksonville want â€" a safe, patrolled, lighted neighborhood that is free of major pollutants," she said.
What sorts of pollutants is she talking about?Fecal coliform levels are above federal standards in Deer and Hogans creeks, and a former pesticide plant and abandoned lots have dirt that's contaminated with toxic chemicals, such as pesticides, from past industrial uses.
With a grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and in partnership with the county health department, other community organizations and the University of North Florida, Eubanks is organizing an Eastside committee made up of residents who will look over data that's being collected by university researchers, and help determine solutions.
The UNF team from the Florida Institute of Government is studying environmental and health data and looking for any unusual patterns that emerge for Eastside residents.
Eubanks, who teaches at Wolfson High School, obtained her master's degree in public administration from UNF with the idea that she could make a difference in the public policy arena.She acts as the liaison between the environmental justice partnership and the neighborhood, and works tirelessly to get people interested and engaged in cleaning up the environment they live in.
That can be difficult because many pollutants are invisible, which make them easier to ignore.Additionally, people have heard so much about pollutants being studied that they don't think much will come of their efforts to get those contaminants cleaned up.
Whatever the reason, it's Eubanks' mission not only to get them involved in this program, but create lifetime civic involvement to improve all aspects of neighborhood life, she said.
So far, she has a group of about 15, calling themselves the Eastside Advisory Committee, who will review the data and speak for the community, she said.
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"This is to empower people," Eubanks said.
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For more information, contact Eubanks at 874-0466.
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