Lois Gibbs was raising her family in Love Canal, near Niagara Falls in upstate New York, in 1978 when she discovered that her home and those of her neighbors were sitting next to 20,000 tons of toxic chemicals. That shocking discovery spurred Lois to lead her community in a three-year struggle to protect their families from the hazardous waste buried in their backyards. By trial and error, Lois and her neighbors developed the strategies and methods to educate and organize the community, assess the impacts of toxic wastes on their health, and challenge corporate and government policies on the dumping of hazardous materials. Her leadership led to the relocation of 833 Love Canal households and the formation of the Federal Superfund Program, which is still active today.

Lois is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Health, Environment, and Justice. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including The Goldman Environmental Prize and The Heinz Award, and has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. A frequent public speaker, Gibbs has appeared on 60 Minutes, 20/20, Oprah Winfrey, Good Morning America, and many other television and radio programs. Additional information can be obtained from: http://chej.org/about-us/story/love-canal/

Sponsored by EEB, the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the Program in the Environment