November 11, 2024
“Average people and the average community can change the world. You can do it just based on common sense, determination, persistence and patience.” —Lois Gibbs
The current environmental issues plaguing our world can seem countless and overwhelming—daily headlines underscore the effects of pollution, climate change, deforestation, and other ecological challenges. In the United States, these problems often disproportionately affect low-income, working-class communities and communities of color—those who may lack the political power to oppose industry or irresponsible development in their backyards.
The environmental justice movement has grown globally—and especially in the United States—as a means of addressing the disproportionate effect environmental challenges have on marginalized communities. Without resources to combat polluting industries, communities are left to depend on themselves for change, and there is no more powerful force for driving meaningful change at the community level than grassroots activism.
Nalleli Cobo: Fighting Environmental Racism
A glowing example of how environmental justice was won through grassroots activism can be found in the work of Nalleli Cobo (United States, 2022). Nalleli grew up in University Park, a predominantly Latino neighborhood in South Los Angeles. Her apartment was not far from an oil well operated by AllenCo Energy, which exposed the neighborhood to fumes and air pollution daily.
Nalleli’s childhood was beset with illnesses like nose bleeds, headaches, and asthma. Her neighbors suffered similar ailments. At just nine years old, and with her mother’s help, Nalleli got to work addressing the constant presence of toxic odors in her neighborhood because of the oil well. She handed out fliers outlining the dangers of urban oil extraction and spoke at rallies and community meetings, encouraging community members to share their experiences too. Soon, People not Pozos was formed and Nalleli, the group’s youngest member, served as spokesperson.
In 2013, Nalleli’s organizing led AllenCo to voluntarily suspend operations at the site, closing it permanently in 2020. In September 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to ban new oil wells in unincorporated parts of the county and to reexamine the effects of existing ones. In the midst of her fight with AllenCo, Nalleli co-founded the South Central Youth Leadership Coalition in 2015. Under her leadership, the group sued the city of Los Angeles for disproportionately permitting oil drilling in Latino and Black communities, an act of environmental racism. The group won its suit, opening doors for policy change on oil extraction in other major cities.
Today, Nalleli continues to fight for environmental justice in her community and around the country. She says, “I don’t know everything, but I know my story, and my voice deserves to be heard and valued and respected.” Nalleli often joins other environmental activists, like Greta Thunberg and Jane Fonda, to hold the oil industry accountable and recently partnered with Patagonia to tell her story in the essay “Free to Breathe.”
Sharon Lavigne: Leading a Grassroots Campaign
St. James Parish, a community in southern Louisiana on the Mississippi River, is home to grassroots activist Sharon Lavigne (United States, 2021). The daughter of civil rights activists, Sharon was raised in the parish and says of her childhood, “Everything was wonderful, and we weren’t sick.”
Since her childhood, nearly 200 petrochemical plants have invaded St. James Parish and the surrounding region. The area, which suffers from significant poverty, is about 50% Black and has cancer rates 50 times higher than the national average. These conditions gave rise to the region’s morbid moniker, “Cancer Alley.”
Seeking to curb the proliferation of petrochemical plants in her community, Sharon founded the grassroots environmental advocacy organization RISE St. James in October 2018. In November 2018, Chinese chemical company Wanhua proposed construction of a new plastics manufacturing plant in the parish, near the Mississippi River. Despite the region’s grim health statistics, the St. James Parish Council granted permits for the project, even rezoning the parish’s residential area to allow construction closer to homes. The plant would produce hundreds of tons of toxic pollutants, releasing them directly into residential neighborhoods and the Mississippi River.
In opposition, Sharon mobilized her community. She spoke to residents of the most impacted neighborhoods, hosted town halls, and invited experts to educate community members. She built local and national coalitions, partnering with civic organizations, church groups, and environmental justice organizations. In response to the intense community campaign, Wanhua withdrew its land use application in September 2019. Construction of the plastic manufacturing plant was officially canceled, protecting the residents from a million pounds of liquid hazardous waste. “The people in the community spoke up,” Sharon recalled. “That was victory to me.”
Sharon is now actively fighting another industry giant: Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics. In 2018, Formosa announced plans to build the largest petrochemical plant in the country—which would emit more than 800 tons of air pollution per year—in St. James Parish. Her fight for environmental justice continues.
Sharon was recently named one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2024 by TIME magazine.
Hilton Kelley: Taking on Polluting Industries
Hilton Kelley (United States, 2011) was born and raised in Port Arthur, a city on Texas’ Gulf Coast. West Port Arthur is a predominantly Black and working-class neighborhood, which is flanked by the Motiva oil refinery, one of the largest refineries in the United States. Also nearby are the Huntsman Petrochemical plant, the Great Lakes Carbon Corporation’s petroleum facility, and many others, all of which subject residents to a steady onslaught of toxic emissions.
Determined to support his struggling community, Hilton established the Community In-power and Development Association in 2000 in order to organize and educate residents on preventing chemical manufacturers, refineries, and incinerator facilities from polluting Port Arthur. At the time, cancer rates in the county were among of the highest in the state of Texas.
In 2006, the Motiva oil refinery announced an expansion plan. In response, Hilton led a massive community outreach campaign, advocating for environmental justice. In response, Motiva agreed to install equipment with cutting-edge technology designed to reduce emissions. Furthermore, through litigation, Hilton negotiated a “good neighbor” agreement with Motiva, stipulating that health coverage be provided for West Side residents for three years. Additionally, a $3.5 million fund was established for new businesses to breathe life back into the community.
But Hilton’s fight for environmental justice isn’t over—while his work has improved conditions for Port Arthur residents, the city is still dominated by fossil fuel giants. He says, “I speak up for the disadvantaged because it is my duty; it is the duty of all mankind to help those in need, those who have no voice, no way of helping themselves.”
Lois Gibbs: Establishing a Legacy of Environmental Justice
In the early 1970s, Love Canal was a typical, working-class neighborhood in Niagara Falls, New York. Lois Gibbs (United States, 1990), a housewife, lived there with her young family. At the time, neither Lois nor any other community member knew what was lurking beneath their children’s classrooms and playgrounds.
As it turned out, Love Canal was the site of an abandoned canal project intended to facilitate transportation between Lakes Erie and Ontario. Hooker Chemical Company bought the site in the 1940s and, throughout the next decade, filled the canal with 21,000 tons of toxic chemical waste. Hooker then sold the land to the city of Niagara Falls for $1. A provision of the sale stipulated that the company would not be held liable for future problems—the city knew the nature of the land it was purchasing and agreed. The city then built the neighborhood’s elementary school on top of it.
Living in Love Canal, Lois and her neighbors were mystified by the quantity of medical maladies afflicting their community: birth defects and miscarriages plagued the area; liver problems and severe asthma were common; and Lois’ own son began suffering from epilepsy.
Subsequent testing revealed numerous chemicals in the air and soil. Heavy rains exposed buried barrels of toxic waste. In response, Lois and her neighbors formed the Love Canal Homeowners Association. Using grassroots strategies such as petitions and door-to-door campaigning, Lois organized community members and called for the complete evacuation of Love Canal’s residents. In a campaign predominantly led by local mothers, the Love Canal Homeowners Association fought for justice, finally culminating in the evacuation of over 900 families from Love Canal in 1980.
In the following months, Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, which became known as the Superfund law. Love Canal was the first area identified as a Superfund cleanup site. Although the battle for Love Canal was won, Lois expanded her efforts, motivated by citizens across the country requesting guidance for attaining environmental justice in their own communities. Lois founded the Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) in 1981 in response to the outcry for help. CHEJ’s mission is “to prevent harm to human health by providing technical and organizing support to individuals and communities facing a toxic hazard.”
Lois is now the author of several books. Her most recent work,
“Love Canal and the Birth of the Environmental Health Movement,” chronicles her story. You can also learn more by watching the PBS documentary Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal.
The Power of Grassroots Engagement
As exemplified by these stories, the fight for environmental justice in the United States depends heavily on the grassroots engagement of communities. Through public mobilization, individuals and communities can effect meaningful change where they live, often with far-reaching impacts. The strength of grassroots activism is found in empowering local groups, providing education, community organizing, and amplifying often silenced voices. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of Goldman Prize winners, countless communities are one step closer to environmental justice and an equitable and just future.
