Lois Gibbs is widely known for her leadership in the Love Canal Crisis. At the age of 27, Gibbs’ two children began to show symptoms of various skin, lung, and immunity diseases. Although her pediatrician first dismissed her as just being “unlucky”, it was soon uncovered that Gibbs and her family were exposed to toxic chemicals that were causing these detrimental health problems.
It soon became public knowledge that Niagara Falls, New York was a dumping site for 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals. These poisonous substances provided an explanation for the plethora of birth defects and illness that the children of Love Canal were coming down with. Taking action, the Love Canal Homeowners Association struggled for two long years to obtain state funded relocation. The state of New York agreed to move the families closest to the dump site, but this didn’t help families like the Gibbs who were trapped, unable to finance their own relocation.
Finally, a breaking point was reached and Lois Gibbs held a demonstration in attempts to end this insanity once and for all. While two inspectors were visiting Love Canal, members of the Love Canal Homeowners Association led by Lois Gibbs peacefully held them hostage a local home. They got on the phone with the White House and demanded the President Carter authorize the relocation of everyone in the chemically affected area they had been trapped in for years.
The demonstration was a success: Gibbs and her family were relocated to Washington DC, where she continued her work fighting for families being affected by the 30,000 toxic chemical dumps across America. That year, (1981) Lois created the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice. Lois Gibbs has been recognized for her fundamental role in environmental justice.
Great post! I find it interesting that Lois Gibbs took charge of the fight against toxic waste at such a young age. This event must have added to the spreading awareness of the impact that people have on the environment. How do you think toxic chemicals would be viewed today if Love Canal had never happened?
ReplyDeleteInteresting post about the Love Canal and Lois Gibbs! This fit into the trend of this era where average citizens start to take action for causes they believe in. I think it's interesting how the residents were actually helped by the president, showing that any person can really make changes if they stand up for a reasonable cause, and the government becoming more involved with the issues of Americans.
ReplyDeleteYour post was very informative! I'm left wondering as to how the issue of chemical waste and its adverse health effects affects other places, beyond Love Canal. Additionally, while this instance of environmental activism against the pollution of big corporations was both effective and impressive, there still remains the question of the environmental waste that could disproportionately affect minority communities who might not have the same capacity for activism.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really informative and concise post! I liked the pictures included because it helps to understand the scenes of the events more. It is really cool to see that she did more with her stand against environmental health issues, after relocating to D.C. It shows her dedication and how she was truly passionate about the Love Canal problem, beyond her personal/family benefits. What do these associations do now? Has she further contributed to the stop of toxic chemicals in residential areas after this incident?
ReplyDeleteThis was a really interesting post! It is extremely interesting that there are still issues of contamination and dumping sites in the country today. It is really reassuring however, that a small town like this can create a change. Did the government create any actual laws or regulations after this incident? Or was it a while before they did anything?
ReplyDeleteGreat and informative post! I was wondering if the current government and president would make the same choices as President Carter if a similar incident happened. As for laws and regulations regarding this incident, Carter was quoted, in reference to Love Canal, "one of the grimmest discoveries of the modern era." The state government created the Love Canal Area Revitalization Agency to restore the area, moving homes away from the dump site and removing the physical waste, including 60 kg of dioxin, from the site. Congress passed the Superfund Act, which allowed federal officials to respond directly to the leak of hazardous substances to the public. This ended after 21 years, with Love Canal as the first target on the CERCLA's list.
ReplyDeleteSources:
https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/cursites/csitinfo.cfm?id=0201290
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Canal#Federal_Response