Love Canal liberator calls for student activism

Thirty years after the devastations of Love Canal came to light, the affects of toxic waste in Niagara Falls can be seen to this day.

Lois Gibbs, founder of the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (CHEJ) visited Fredonia on Thursday, April 22 in Rosch Recital Hall as this year's Convocation speaker. Gibbs was the recipient of the Heinz Award, the John Gardner Leadership Award and a Noble Peace Prize nomination for her work in the aftermath of Love Canal.

Some area residents know her as the leader of the Love Canal Homeowners Association.
In the late 70s, Gibbs and her neighbors fought for the relocation of hundreds of families in the Niagara Falls area upon discovering a toxic waste dump hidden underneath the local elementary school where Gibbs' own children attended.

Her neighborhood, which is popularly recognized as "Love Canal," was built atop a toxic waste site. Gibbs witnessed directly the effects of toxic waste on the human body.

Over 20,000 tons of waste, buried below the ground by local company Hooker Chemical, was causing an astounding number of medical issues in the area. Eventually, they succeeded in getting 900 families removed from the danger at Love Canal.

Gibbs witnessed within her own children the devastating physical effects of the toxins on the body. With multiple issues ranging from seizures to an apparent case of leukemia, it became obvious to Gibbs that there was something going on that was deeper than genetic predispositions.

Even after finding and documenting an astounding abundance of medical issues within the neighborhood, Gibbs claims that the government took very little interest.

It is from this experience that Gibbs developed her career of educating the public on the risks of toxins. Gibbs says it is the influence of the college student's voice that matters most.

"Campuses and young people are what have changed our world," Gibbs said. "We are at a critical juncture. Our environment, our world needs young people to stand up as they have in the past."

Convincing those who have the ability to make a change that it is sometimes a difficult process. It is for this reason that she said the job is in our hands.

Gibbs points out that people still suffer from the same toxic poisons contaminating their homes. With government regulations basing the placement of toxins on the economic worth of the people that reside in an area, the need for public intervention is apparent.

According to Gibbs, the bigger issue is the focus on what level of toxicity the human body can endure. Gibbs suggests that instead of looking at these statistics, focus should be on how much can be avoided.

It is impossible to know the exact repercussions of human exposure to toxic wastes since every individual may respond differently. A prime example of this is inaccurate data regarding the effects of lead and mercury, which has caused an outbreak of poisoning in homes.

Gibbs said the threat is found in levels of PVC or polyvinyl chloride. This toxic substance is found in many shower curtains and in the vinyl flooring many people spread across their homes. PVC has been linked to an increase in asthma and also to the development of autism in children. While the use of this too can be avoided, it is still not recognized by corporations as a poison.

With the combination of issues facing the environment today, "we as a society need to stand up and say 'no more,'" Gibbs said. She encourages students to become involved with efforts to address environmental issues that pose threats to human beings, let alone their surrounding environment. "We need all the help we can get," she said.

Students looking to buy a ticket on Thursday discovered that the event was popular enough to sell out, but those who were eager to witness Gibbs' lecture met in McEwen for a live simulcast. Following the talk, a book signing was held for Gibbs' Achieving the Impossible: Stories of Courage, Caring and Community.