Dothan Landfill = Civil Rights Lawsuit...

Black residents in the city of Dothan have filed a civil rights complaint over a landfill. The Dothan Eagle reports the nine plaintiffs are being represented by Florida environmental attorney David Ludder. The residents claim the plan to expand the dump discriminates against black residents because African Americans comprise almost ninety percent of the population within a mile of the proposed expansion. That claim includes eighty percent of the population within a mile and a half. The complaint cites EPA regulations that prohibit any entities receiving federal funds from doing anything that subjects people to discrimination. The complaint also says the Alabama Department of Environmental Management needs to show a substantial, legitimate interest that justifies its decision to permit the expansion.