West Savannah neighborhoods are seeing concrete‑plant emissions move from concern to data, as air‑quality sensors are installed just as the South Georgia State Fair enters its final weekend. Both stories matter to Savannah residents who want healthier air and community events that support local charities.
According to WTOC, Ogeecheeton resident Johnny M. Law said she and her husband have witnessed neighbors suffer lung damage she believes stems from the SRM Concrete Plant located near Tremont and Ogeechee roads. “People are dying, people are leaving this community. It’s time, they need to move,” Law told WTOC. In response, Georgia Tech, MIT and the nonprofit Harambee House placed a sensor in Ogeecheeton, a step the residents say will make their health concerns “concrete.” Law added that the community wants to be treated fairly and not “kicked to the side.”
Woodville resident Pamela Anderson described a different but related problem: “more than 100 tractor‑trailers pass through my area almost every hour.” She warned that the dust and particles from the traffic, as well as the nearby concrete plant, have created “health issues that we’re prone to.” Anderson showed Georgia Tech workers the next sensor location on Friday, with city approval, and said she hopes future development will involve more community engagement.
Deputy director of the Harambee House, Dawud Shabaka, said the Environmental Protection Agency has inspected the area multiple times and each time found levels did not exceed legal limits. However, Shabaka criticized the permissible fugitive‑dust limits as “ridiculously high.” Sensor data is now being processed at MIT and will be returned to the Harambee House and local residents, though WTOC reports no exact release date has been set.
At the same time, the South Georgia State Fair is celebrating its final weekend with the “Stars, Stripes and Fair Lights” theme. WTOC notes the fair remains open until 10 p.m. Friday night and from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Visitors can enjoy rides, a petting zoo and live performances. The fair traces its roots to 1950, when the Exchange Club of Savannah launched the first event, then known as the Coastal Empire Fair.
Marc Dunston, president of the Exchange Club of Savannah, told WTOC the fair “means a lot” because it provides an annual opportunity to give back, recognize law‑enforcement officers, teachers, students, medical personnel and EMS workers, and raise millions of dollars for local charities and youth programs.
What’s next: Residents await the processed sensor results from MIT, which will inform future discussions with the city and nearby businesses. Meanwhile, the fair concludes Sunday night, after which the Exchange Club will tally the charitable contributions generated during the weekend’s events.
