VIEWPOINT: More Investment Needed in Delaware’s Route 9 Fenceline Communities

Last week, President Biden recognized the “Route 9 communities” of Delaware in his Democratic National Convention speech. It was thrilling and gratifying to hear the efforts of the Route 9 Corridor called out as an example from such an enormous platform.

Stuart Comstock-Gay

The Route 9 Corridor is comprised of several “fence line communities,” the term for communities directly affected by a nearby polluting facility or facilities. These communities have been working to combat the impact created by haphazard zoning, sprawl and racially segregated social structures.

These factors have allowed many industries to be situated perilously close to residential homes, impacting the air, water and health of generations of residents. Many public officials at the federal, state and local levels have worked to make changes to benefit these communities; yet significant environmental challenges remain.

To that end, last winter the Rt 9 Community Development Corporation (Rt 9 CDC) received a grant from the Bezos Earth Fund to support moving critical remediation and rebuilding work forward. One of the many things that grant funded is a “Bezos Fellow” – a community organizer who works directly with the Rt 9 CDC and is hosted by the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF).

Rt 9 CDC, with support from the Bezos Earth Fund and the DCF, is working for environmental justice, continue to build communities based on the concept of “green empowerment.” Together they seek to encourage the growth of resilient and self-sustaining communities, investing in environmentally restorative projects that repair, remediate and rebuild the environment and the local economy.

There is much work to do. Stormwater infrastructure and wetlands preservation, brownfield remediation, and increased efforts in carbon mitigation and abatement strategies are all greatly needed.

The DCF calls upon our local and state elected officials to continue this momentum with additional investment in the Rt 9 communities. The investment will change the physical and mental health of the generations of residents to come, and all of us will be better when these communities succeed.

Stuart Comstock-Gay is president and CEO of Delaware Community Foundation.