RELEASE: Boston fire fighter among environmental leaders honored at summit
For immediate release: Saturday, April 26, 2025
For more information:
Leigh-Anne Cole, Executive Director, leigh-anne@communityactionworks.org, 617-721-2858
Mark Morgenstein, Media Relations Director, markm@publicinterestnetwork.
RELEASE: Boston fire fighter among environmental leaders honored at summit
BOSTON – More than 60 local leaders from across four states gathered Saturday at the Community Action Works Environmental Organizing Summit to network, plan, and celebrate their campaign work on a variety of issues. The gathering featured an awards ceremony for outstanding environmental champions for their work in their communities. Award winners included:
- Paul Jacques, Legislative Agent for the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts (PFFM), (Boston, MA), awarded the Outstanding Activist Award for his relentless advocacy to protect the public health from toxic PFAS.
- Berkshire Community College Student Government Association (Pittsfield, MA) awarded the Student Activist Award for its “outstanding work engaging students on campus and… commitment to service, advocacy and making their community a greener and healthier place.”
- Templeton Community Against Toxic Waste (Templeton, MA) awarded the Outstanding Community Group Award for its efforts to engage and organize Templeton community members against a toxic chemical recycling plant that would bring 500 tons of plastic into Templeton every day.
Keynote speaker Paul Jacques told the crowd, “As a firefighter, who also served two tours in Iraq, I know how to put up a fight.” Jacques and the PFFM were key to getting the Massachusetts Legislature to pass a bill last year banning PFAS in firefighter gear over the finish line last year in the Massachusetts Legislature. He noted that while the ban on firefighter gear represented only a slice of the comprehensive bill that was filed, he and PFFM—along with MASSPIRG, Clean Water Action, and other groups were “right back at” it this legislative session to get a comprehensive bill passed.
The gathering included community leaders who have mounted campaigns to block the siting of trash-filled landfills, save the right whales, reduce plastics, protect the Cape and islands from nuclear power pollution and more.
“There’s never been a better time to show up, to speak up, to work together,”said Wayne Morrison, from the North Country Alliance for Balanced Change, who served as emcee.
The event was co-sponsored by 15 environmental groups, including MASSPIRG, Surfrider Foundation MA, Tiny Seed, Bow Seat, Dover Plastic Reduction Group and Cape Downwinders.
Below: Paul Jacques of PFFM delivering keynote address.
