‘No build’ option personal for GRIC members

Those fighting for a “no build” option for the Loop 202 are doing so for very personal reasons. Lori Riddle, a Gila River Indian Community (GRIC) member and member of Gila River Alliance for a Clean Environment (GRACE), shared some of her reasoning during a speech at Chandler-Gilbert Community College on Monday. Riddle was invited to speak as part of the college’s Bird on Fire series, featuring speakers that were interviewed for Andrew Ross’s book, “Bird on Fire: Lessons from the World’s Least Sustainable City.” Riddle grew up on a piece of land at the border of Laveen and the Gila River Indian Community that was infected with pesticides that were meant for Phoenix land. “We noticed the stench and the discoloration of the soil because of the chemicals that had been dumped since the 1930s,” Riddle said. “We attempted to plant, but for the first year we were just sucking up the pesticides that were being dumped.” The family lived traditionally with no electricity or running water, Riddle said, and they experienced constant sickness and many family members were unable to carry children to full term.

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