Local & National News | May 14, 2025

Edited: October 27, 2025 | 3:05 p.m. CDT

Written by: Gilbert Barnes Carter III

The Citizens' Environmental Integrity Act Ordinance is a citizen-centered piece of legislation that must be used to establish new local environmental safeguards and undo widespread legacy pollution.

The local resistance against CTC Property, LLC and xAI is becoming increasingly pivotal.

Recent Advocacy and Community Action

Tennessee State Representative (District 86) Justin J. Pearson led a spirited demonstration and press conference directly outside of the Shelby County Health Department headquarters on May 9. He listed 17 high impact / toxic release inventory company / corporation facility locations during his address that are currently in the 38109 zip code area across Southwest Memphis. Ms. Sam Supan, a senior at Rhodes College, listed a total of 58 TRI sites in Shelby County during her "Mapping Toxic Release Sites in Southwest Memphis: An Accessible Approach" presentation via YouTube on May 12. 25 of those sites, all in the 38109 zip code area, are disproportionately located across Southwest Memphis.

Ten of those companies / corporations are listed below.

• AB Mauri
• Cargill, Incorporated
• Drexel Chemical Company
• Ergon Armor
• Ergon Asphalt & Emulsions, Incorporated
• IBC Manufacturing Company
• Providential Fabricators, Incorporated
• Owens Corning Roofing & Asphalt, LLC
• Valero Memphis Refinery, LLC
• Valero Memphis Terminal, LLC

Research and Legislative Models

Collective research results between Memphis City Councilwoman Yolanda Cooper-Sutton, myself, other concerned citizens, and Shelby County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon have revealed that there are several locations across the United States where legislation for the regulation of category-specific and commercial data center operations is currently comprehensive. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials have categorized the respective pieces of legislation as "recommended model ordinances."

• Boone County, Missouri
• Loudoun County, Virginia
• Norfolk, Virginia
• San Antonio, Texas
• State of Vermont (Vermont Act 250)

Legislative Intent

I drafted the Citizens' Environmental Integrity Act Ordinance to have a solution based approach. I am confident that it will be passed and utilized to generate more favorable environmental justice outcomes for the citizens of Memphis and Shelby County for the foreseeable future. The earliest possible date for me to present the legislation before the Shelby County Board of Commissioners Committee is June 18. Three readings by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners are mandatory ahead of the legislation being officially passed.

1. WHEREAS, all citizens of Memphis and Shelby County must always maintain and increase our public health equity.

• The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County demand and deserve to undo the environmental degradation and legacy pollution that has been proliferated from existing high impact / toxic release inventory facility locations for decades in compliance with federal and state laws. Example: The Clean Air Standards Act

 

2. WHEREAS, all citizens of Memphis and Shelby County must always maintain and protect the physical integrity of our natural environment.

• The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County demand and deserve to always maintain and protect the physical environmental integrity of all natural features, resources, and organisms, such as, but not limited to, air, soil, water, wetlands, and wildlife, within the defined corporate limits of both.

 

• The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County demand and deserve to undo the environmental degradation and legacy pollution that has been proliferated from existing high impact / toxic release inventory facility locations for decades in compliance with federal and state laws. Example: The Clean Air Standards Act

 

3. WHEREAS, all citizens of Memphis and Shelby County must have more opportunities to participate in the political process.

• The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County acknowledge the perpetual importance of attracting and retaining large scale commercial industry providers for diverse and gainful employment opportunities without incurring the potential risk of the destruction of the physical integrity of our natural environment within the defined corporate limits of both.

 

• The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County acknowledge the perpetual importance of attracting and retaining large scale commercial industry providers for diverse and gainful employment opportunities without inadvertently and significantly minimizing the positive impact from existing small scale business operations.

 

• The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County demand and deserve to always receive advance notice of the consideration of category-specific and commercial data center and high impact / toxic release inventory project development plans that have the potential to not be conducive to (a.) maintaining and increasing our public health equity and (b.) maintaining and protecting the physical environmental integrity of our natural environment during forums such as, but not limited to, mandatory public hearings.

 

4. WHEREAS, all citizens of Memphis and Shelby County must have unprecedented legislation for the regulation of category-specific and commercial data centers in Memphis and Shelby County.

• There is no legislation for the regulation of category-specific and commercial data center operations in Memphis and Shelby County.

 

Gilbert Barnes Carter III is a Memphis-based author, child welfare advocate, community organizer, emerging farmer, gardener, journalist, and social justice advocate. He began his social justice advocacy and work by serving as a Shelby County Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Board volunteer in 2005. He has worked since then to effectuate change for low-wage, immigrant, and migrant workers as a Temporary Workers Campaign Manager with Workers Interfaith Network; an advocate for Teamsters Local 667 sanitation workers; and a community / field organizer to uphold blight reduction, efficient public mass transit, environmental justice, food access, food justice, food security, narrative change, and public safety.