Local Leaders Honored at Environmental Summit
For Immediate Release: Saturday, June 22, 2024
For more information: Leigh-Anne Cole, Executive Director, Community Action Works, leigh-anne@communityactionworks.org , 617-7210-2858
Mark Morgenstein. Media Relations Director, markm@publicinterestnetwork.org, 303-573-5556
Local Leaders Honored at Environmental Summit
BOSTON – More than 40 local environmental leaders from across five states gathered Saturday at the Community Action Works Local Environmental Leadership Summit to tackle today’s most pressing environmental threats. At the summit, Community Action Works presented awards to outstanding environmental champions and groups for their work in their communities. Award winners included:
Mary Lampert (Duxbury, MA) was presented with the Legacy Award, honoring her 47 year fight to eliminate the environmental and public health threats posed by the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, MA. Her work continues: Mary is now pushing back against the decommissioned plant’s plans to dump radioactive wastewater into Cape Cod Bay.
Audrey Symon (Cincinnati, OH) was awarded the Youth Activist Award for convincing the Cincinnati Board of Education to adopt a Clean Energy Resolution, ensuring a smooth transition to a sustainable future for the school district.
The North Country Alliance for Balanced Change (NCABC) (New Hampshire) won the Outstanding Community Group Award for its ongoing work to stop Casella from putting a dump in the middle of the Ammonoosuc River watershed, half a mile from unspoiled Forest Lake in one of the highest-ranked wildlife areas in New Hampshire. NCABC’s efforts have highlighted how crucial it is to reduce waste and protect water. Over the past year, NCABC organized thousands of New Hampshire residents to take action by contacting their state lawmakers and held and participated in16 events to educate the public about the need for stronger environmental protections. The group had a big victory recently when all the major gubernatorial candidates from both parties stated their opposition to a new landfill coming into New Hampshire.
For most of the leadership summit, community leaders attended panels on local environmental issues — including protecting people from toxic PFAS — the “forever chemicals” found in many consumer products and water sources — and stopping landfill development. Also, the event included workshops about developing winning campaigns to how to navigate public hearings.
Ayesha Khan, co-founder of the Nantucket PFAS Action Group, was the summit’s featured keynote speaker. Khan related a poignant story about starting her group after her husband, Fire Captain Nate Barber, was diagnosed with testicular cancer. PFAS is found in firefighting foam and protective gear. Even in small amounts over time, these chemicals have been linked to serious health effects including cancer, thyroid disruption and reduced vaccine response.
The event was co-sponsored by 14 environmental groups, including MASSPIRG, Surfrider Foundation MA, Clean Water Action, and the Global Center for Climate Justice. Local sponsors included the Save the Bay MA, Pilgrim Watch, North County Alliance for Balanced Change, Cape Downwinders, and the New Hampshire Network for Environment, Energy, and Climate.
