Despite efforts to use their pollution concerns as a formal defense, five community activists were found guilty Tuesday of trespassing at the GAF shingles plant in West Dallas earlier this year.
The activists had been cited for “pedestrians in [the] roadway,” a Class C misdemeanor, after they blocked the road leading to the factory on Earth Day to stop operations and bring attention to pollution from the facility on Singleton Boulevard.
GAF executives maintain the plant meets local, state and federal emissions standards.
During their court appearance Tuesday, the group continued its protest by holding a banner outside of the courthouse and sharing their defense strategy – that the plant is severely impacting the health of nearby residents.
“I think that people in Dallas know that the air pollution is bad...” said Evelyn Mayo, co-chair of the clean air advocacy group Downwinders at Risk. “So, you can't deny the lived experiences of the residents here.”
Although the judge denied their request for a jury trial and did not allow their pollution concerns as a formal defense, the activists presented their evidence and testimony in the hopes of overturning the conviction on appeal.
The judge ultimately found the activists guilty and fined them $97 each.
They vowed to continue their fight against the plant’s operation.
“As long as it continues to operate, it's going to continue to hurt us,” said Janie Cisneros, a protester and leader of the environmental justice group Singleton/United Unidos. “It's going to continue to harm us.”
Zara Amaechi is KERA’s Marjorie Welch Fitts Louis fellow covering race and social justice. Got a tip? Email Zara at zamaechi@kera.org. You can follow her on X @amaechizara.
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