Interview with Daniel Parshley, September 24, 2013Collection: Georgia Environmental Oral History Project |
Dublin Core
Description
Daniel Parshley was born in Niagara Falls, New York, as the son of an aeronautical engineer. His childhood was spent in California and Connecticut where he graduated from high school and attended college. Brunswick, Georgia, has been Parshley's home since 1973.
Parshley's first environmental work and education was in wastewater treatment soon after arriving in Georgia. When the Glynn Environmental Coalition (GEC) formed in 1990, Daniel helped write the first of four EPA Technical Assistance Grants for the Superfund Sites in Glynn County and has managed the grants since that time. Soon after graduating from Brunswick College in 1994 he started working in marine research.Currently, Daniel is the President of Parshley Research and Management, manages EPA Grants and daily operations for the GEC, and is involved in three marine research projects. He is also a registered mediator in Georgia.
In this interview, Parshley discusses his early life in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and moving to Brunwick and working as a commercial fisherman and marine researcher. Parshley talks about the inception of the Glynn Environmental Coalition (GEC) in 1989 and early concerns about air quality and Earth Day projects. Parshley talks extensively about GEC, including its stuctrual organization, charter members, and the evolution toward becoming a more politically active organization.
Parshley talks about Superfund sites in Glynn County, including numerous Hercules pollution sites, LCP Chemicals, and chlorine gas at Brunswick High School. Parshley talks about managing the EPA Technical Assistance Grant Program. He discusses the tenor of community meetings and the reaction of the business community to GEC's work. Parshley discusses instances of corruption within the manufacturing plants and the government organizations, as well as the effect of environmental and public health initiatives on jobs and the local economy. He talks about intimidation tactics and the fear of retaliation.Parshley also discusses the effects of pollution on the African American community and outreach efforts by GEC to the African American community, including education about contaminated seafood for substinence fishermen. He talks about Mad Hatter syndrome and effect of race on the response to pollution and public health concerns. Parshley talks about working with other citizens groups and the reputation of the Glynn Environmental Coalition over time.
Parshley's first environmental work and education was in wastewater treatment soon after arriving in Georgia. When the Glynn Environmental Coalition (GEC) formed in 1990, Daniel helped write the first of four EPA Technical Assistance Grants for the Superfund Sites in Glynn County and has managed the grants since that time. Soon after graduating from Brunswick College in 1994 he started working in marine research.Currently, Daniel is the President of Parshley Research and Management, manages EPA Grants and daily operations for the GEC, and is involved in three marine research projects. He is also a registered mediator in Georgia.
In this interview, Parshley discusses his early life in Niagara Falls, N.Y., and moving to Brunwick and working as a commercial fisherman and marine researcher. Parshley talks about the inception of the Glynn Environmental Coalition (GEC) in 1989 and early concerns about air quality and Earth Day projects. Parshley talks extensively about GEC, including its stuctrual organization, charter members, and the evolution toward becoming a more politically active organization.
Parshley talks about Superfund sites in Glynn County, including numerous Hercules pollution sites, LCP Chemicals, and chlorine gas at Brunswick High School. Parshley talks about managing the EPA Technical Assistance Grant Program. He discusses the tenor of community meetings and the reaction of the business community to GEC's work. Parshley discusses instances of corruption within the manufacturing plants and the government organizations, as well as the effect of environmental and public health initiatives on jobs and the local economy. He talks about intimidation tactics and the fear of retaliation.Parshley also discusses the effects of pollution on the African American community and outreach efforts by GEC to the African American community, including education about contaminated seafood for substinence fishermen. He talks about Mad Hatter syndrome and effect of race on the response to pollution and public health concerns. Parshley talks about working with other citizens groups and the reputation of the Glynn Environmental Coalition over time.
Date
2013-09-24
Identifier
RBRL345GEOH-007
Coverage
Oral History Item Type Metadata
Location
Duration
84 minutes
Citation
Daniel Parshley and Betsy Bean, “Interview with Daniel Parshley, September 24, 2013,” UGA Special Collections Libraries Oral Histories, accessed April 19, 2024, https://georgiaoralhistory.libs.uga.edu/RBRL345GEOH/RBRL345GEOH-007.