Organizer of Love Canal speaks

“She was sponsored by a local group fighting a proposed industry that would burn tires to create small amounts of electricity. (P.S. I see a couple unclear or redundant phrases that the my editor didn't catch -- and one that really should have attribution, so please forgive)


“We were naïve.”

That’s how dynamic speaker Lois Gibbs described her group of environmentally concerned parents, housewives and factory workers in an area that was to become known as “Love Canal,” in the Niagara Falls vicinity of upstate New York.

They started their work in the 1970s, spreading the word about illnesses happening to their children, as well as numerous stillborn and mentally retarded babies, and the high rate of babies miscarried. When her own children fell sick, it really hit home. Gibbs attributed the illnesses to a toxic chemical dump their houses were built upon.

She worked hard and gained the support of others. In October of 1980, they won a major victory in the battle. Then President Jimmy Carter approved relocating 900 families away from Love Canal.

Gibbs then congratulated members of the Southeastern Minnesotans for Environmental Protection (SEMEP) for their hard work in trying to stop the Heartland “tire burning plant” proposed for Preston. Her talk at the Lanesboro Community Center last Saturday was sponsored by SEMEP.

Poison

Gibbs said she used to think the smell of chemicals was the smell of good economy. Then her son developed epilepsy, liver disorder, a urinary tract disorder, severe asthma and an immune suppression disorder. This all happened in his first four years of life.

Her daughter was conceived at Love Canal. One Thursday she got sick and starting sporting bruises. Within three days she had bruises all over her body. The initial diagnosis was leukemia.

Gibbs said the government knew their town was being poisoned, but they “justified it.” A file at City Hall said the best option was to contain the dump, but that would cost $20 million, with no federal Superfund for environmental clean-ups at that time.

The city government, she explained, figured a value on each person, a “cost benefit.” Her husband was worth $10,000. Her young son was expected to follow in her husband’s footsteps and was valued at $10,000 plus a bit for inflation. As a housewife, Gibbs had no value. Figuring her daughter also would be a housewife, she, too, had no value.

It seemed the city figured that 900 families were not worth the cost to clean up the area.

“I’m still mad,” said Gibbs.

When she and her friends and neighbors contacted an attorney to try to fight the situation, Gibbs said she made a startling and frightening discovery. The lawyer told them that America gives permits to poison people, allowing licenses for plants which put out so many parts per million of toxic chemicals, for example. That is determined to not harm a set number of people. But then there are the ones it does harm or kill.

Gibbs compared it to a hunting or fishing license. “The purpose of the license is to control… but with hunting and fishing you are not permitted to take the babies and the moms when they’re pregnant,” she said.

“Dioxin (which causes cancer) will come out of that tire burner. There is no safe level of dioxin,” she stated.

‘Helping economy’

An argument used to promote the building of environmentally unsound plants is that they “will help the economy,” said Gibbs.

She noted in Preston the “Pandora’s Box” had already been opened with the construction of the ethanol plant. “Just say no more,” stressed Gibbs.

Columbus, Ohio, is a community where a garbage incinerator was scheduled to be switched to tires for fuel. Gibbs said it was the same type of thing as proposed for Preston and that it was shut down within a year.

A figure of 30 new jobs has been toted by Heartland. Gibbs asked how many farmers and organic farmers would be lost, as well as tourism jobs.

She also noted Heartland was talking about a tax waiver, so the city of Preston would not even be getting its taxes. “There is nothing attractive about this industry,” Gibbs stated.

Fight with politics

“Really, I was just a housewife who got mad as hell,” said Gibbs, as she recalled her fight with larger governmental powers.

“You can continue to be ordinary people, fight the battles and be ordinary. I am so impressed with what you’ve (SEMEP) done so far. Keep the tire burner out,” said Gibbs.

She also credited SEMEP with having elected a mayor (David Pechulis) who “gives a hoot” and encouraged them to move ahead from there. As the group reaches a plateau with lawsuits and other actions against, Gibbs advised them of a major move to make.

“You can fight this for the next five years… or find four people to run for City Council and work day and night between now and November,” she said.

Put people in office to support the mayor and kill this proposal, urged Gibbs. It would mean a busy summer and finding four volunteers – who could fill the terms “as long as it takes to kill it.”

On the other hand, she called the “long answer” struggling with lawsuits and the like over the next two to three years.

She said she knows that Minnesotans are “polite people,” advising them to get over that. Gibbs noted, “I learned through 25 years that polite people get poisoned.”

Those opposed to Heartland should speak out, hold public forums and hold people accountable.

Some answers

Gibbs gave many other tips on holding politicians accountable when she answered questions from the audience of around 50. For example, she said instead of using initials such as MPCA (Minnesota Pollution Control Agency) to instead use the name of the agency director, who would be Kathy Corrigan in this instance.

When someone asked Gibbs about “safe levels” of chemicals, she replied, “It’s like an oxymoron. It’s that basic. We don’t need to burn tires for energy. It’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard.”

She also stated, “We’re not a bunch of tree-huggers here.” Gibbs stated that physicians are a great resource with their knowledge of science and diseases.

A number of people asked about the reception from the Preston community, one saying that people are fearful for their jobs if they come out against Heartland. Gibbs stressed positive reinforcement and being there for each other as part of the larger group protesting.

In closing, Gibbs was asked about the success rate of the group she heads – the Center for Health, Environment and Justice (www.chej.org) – in working with groups to stop projects like Heartland.

She said that for “tire burners,” the groups she’s known have gone two for two in stopping them, a 100 percent success rate. Gibbs said there’s “no data” for them, so it’s hard to argue for them.

Over the last 20 years, the groups she’s known have won every battle but two, which were fought strictly legally.

“If you organize, you can win. You’re almost there. Look to November (and the elections),” said Gibbs. “Win by Christmas. Let it be your holiday gift.””

“How come journalists use so many 1 sentence paragraphs? That was always a big no-no in every english/grammar/writing class I ever had.

BTW, interesting article.”

“LOL.. mutt, mutt!

Journalism is different from English. When it's in those small columns on the newspage you want to make it easier to read, "reader friendly." Would ya rather read paragraphs that are 1 column wide and 4" long? Or break that same piece into more paragraphs, giving your eyes indentations to latch onto, so you don't lose your place? Bingo... However, I agree that it looks dumb when not in newspaper columns! lol”

“Also, Mutt, as I'm sitting here writting more stories, I need to mention this>> The phrases that sit alone are subheads, actually in bold print in the paper. Just another trick to keep it "reader friendly"”