Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice will lead an unpermitted march Friday to speak out against alleged environmental injustices taking place in Uniontown.

The non-profit organization will march from Quinn Chapel to Uniontown City Hall at 12 p.m.

“We have had enough. Enough is enough, and it is time for us to stand up. We are fed up with all the things that are happening in Uniontown,” said Esther Calhoun, president of Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice.

The group alleges that their civil rights to clean air and water have been violated because the Alabama Department of Environmental Management has allegedly allowed the city’s wastewater problems to continue.

The group has been speaking out about the issues over the last few years, but they will be joined by the Southern Movement Assembly (SMA).

“We’re going to be joining Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice as they declare their independence from environmental injustice, both in terms of what is happening in Uniontown with the wastewater and the spray fields,” said Ash-Lee Henderson, regional organizer for Project South, which oversees the SMA.

According to Uniontown Mayor Jamaal Hunter, the city is not aware of the march and a permit is required by city ordinance to hold one.

“We’re not trying to infringe on any rights that they have, but they have to realize that things must be done by proper protocol,” Hunter said. “I’m in no way, shape, form or fashion trying to silence the group because the dialogue is helping. I just need to make sure they are not infringing upon the rights of other citizens.”

Hunter said he would have no problem with the march, but he would like to be aware of plans from the groups responsible for organizing it.

“Even if they were to come to me now, I would have no problem approving the march,” Hunter said. “We do want to make sure that whatever they do is done orderly and is done correctly. That is my only concern.”

The march will be part of Building Southern People’s Power Summer Organizing Intensive, which is a three-day event that teaches people about political education, organizing and direct action.

“We’ll be talking about direct action and its role in terms of being a way that grassroots movements can collect those people’s power to get the things that they need for their community,” Henderson said.

Henderson said she hopes the SMA’s support helps bring more attention the alleged environmental issues in Uniontown.

“The hope … is that the folks are in significant power that have control over solutions that could be implemented to stop some of the environmental injustices taking place in Uniontown will see that folks from all over the region are paying attention and that most definitely people in Uniontown have had enough,” Henderson said.

Mayor Hunter said the city has heard the group’s concerns and they are being addressed.

“We have listened to the Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice. They pretty much dominate every city council agenda,” Hunter said.

“Everything that they have brought to our attention has been reviewed, and just because we don’t move as fast as they want us to move or give them a response as quick as they want us to move, then they take it as nothing is being done. Every issue that comes by my desk is properly reviewed.”

Hunter said the group has criticized every option the city has presented to solve its wastewater issues.

“They (Black Belt Citizens Fighting for Health and Justice) don’t want any options, so what do we do,” Hunter said. “Every option we come up with they are not satisfied by it. They have issues with them, but something must be done.”