A historically Black community in Arizona is home to some of the worst air pollution in the state. Despite residents lacking fire hydrants, trash collection, and healthcare services, a local power plant is seeking to expand.
Located in Pinal county, Randolph has experienced ongoing droughts and the expansion of industry, which have driven out not only residents, but also local agriculture. According to the American Lung Association and the Environmental Protection Agency, it is among the worst in air quality within Arizona.
Only around 150 people reside in Randolph, which does not have a grocery store, gas station, pharmacy, or even park — only a lone church with homes built by families generations ago.
The community in Randolph celebrated a historic victory last year when plans from public utility Salt River Project (SRP) to double the size of their local plant were blocked by the state regulator. The Arizona Corporation Commission, which oversees utilities in the state, ruled in January 2023 "that the need for the proposed project is outweighed by its environmental impact."
SRP has since petitioned the state Supreme Court to hear the case, prompting the ACC to reopen discussions. Environmental advocacy group Sierra Club called the ongoing struggle "textbook environmental racism," with Sandy Bahr, director of the Grand Canyon chapter, adding that large companies such as SRP do not often take no for an answer.
“SRP is used to getting its way, and it’s pushing on all fronts. The ACC has a huge impact in people’s lives, but the process wears communities down, it’s never over,” she continued. “It’s heartbreaking for the Randolph folks who finally felt that their voices had been heard.”
SRP has since offered residents in Randolph direct payouts if they drop their opposition to the plant's expansion. They proposed the construction of a brand new community center, as well as offered air quality monitoring, scholarships and job-training programs, and $50,000 in landscaping. They also volunteered to back policy that would recognize the town as a national historic place.
Ron Jordan, a 77-year-old resident whose family has been in Randolph since the 1930s, told The Guardian that residents will not be swayed by bribes, as the environmental and health costs are already too great to endure.
“We won, they lost, but they won’t accept it and keep coming back. This is not democratic,” he said. “They are dangling goodies in front of us, but the community doesn’t want it, we already have too much pollution. This isn’t right.”
