March 24th 2007
Press Release
Cumberland Group Honored for Outstanding Activism
Stop Trashing
Our Place (S.T.O.P.) Wins One of Two Awards at
20th
Annual Environmental Citizens’ Conference
Boston, MA
– Over 300 citizen activists from across
southern New England gathered today at the region’s largest environmental conference,
the 20th Annual Toxics Action 2007.
Two community groups were honored with surprise
Outstanding Activist Awards for their work in protecting their communities from local environmental and public health issues.
Groups from Cumberland, RI and Russell, MA received awards. In addition, Massachusetts scientist Marco Katolfen received the Dr. Richard Clapp Scientific Achievement
Award from the Boston University School of Public Health for conducting science for the benefit of human health.
“Even as federal and state officials
move to weaken environmental and public health laws, at the local level citizens in New England are standing tall and creating
real protections for our health and our environment,” said Paul Schramski, Community Organizer for Toxics Action Center.
Stop Trashing Our Place (S.T.O.P.) of Cumberland, RI, received the Toxics
Action Center Outstanding Activist Award for their work to stop the siting of two construction and demolition trash transfer
stations in their town. Two Companies, Coastal Recycling and Redwood Realty, attempted to build trash stations in residential
neighborhoods in Cumberland last year. S.T.O.P., led by Walter and Renee Ducharme, organized their neighbors, generated media
attention, and testified at public hearings to stop construction of these facilities. Ultimately, the group elevated their
issue to become an election platform topic and the newly elected Mayor Dan McKee, working with the citizens best interest
& future health in mind and with the new Building Official revoked the improperly issued permits.
“The members of S.T.O.P. should be
commended for their work to protect the health and well-being of the residents of Cumberland,”
added Mr. Schramski. “Without S.T.O.P.’s relentless efforts, two dirty trash stations would have ended up in our
neighborhoods, near our children.”
Offering skills and issue-based workshops,
Toxics Action 2007 served as a venue for community advocates to share their experiences and reinvigorate their local campaigns.
Highlighting the day were the conference’s featured speakers, Lois Gibbs, famed citizen activist from Love Canal, NY and Director of the Center for Health, Environment
and Justice (CHEJ), and Dan Cantor, Executive Director of the Working Families Party.
Since 1987, Toxics
Action Center has assisted more than 500
neighborhood groups from across New England in their fight against toxics hazards in their
communities. Environmental Action 2006 is the 20th annual conference of Toxics
Action Center and the New England
Grassroots Environment Fund, a foundation dedicated to supporting community-based grassroots environmental campaigns.
Please visit the S.T.O.P. website at: www.stoptrashingourplace.org for more information and to keep abreast of current happenings.
