Dr. Ben Chavis Builds The Roadmap For America’s Environmental Justice Movement

In 1978, shortly after the Environmental Protection Agency commenced prohibiting PCBs, 30,000 gallons of oil laden with these hazardous chemicals were illicitly disposed of in North Carolina. Two brothers clandestinely sprayed the oil onto roadways across 14 counties for three months. This desperate act was part of a failed attempt to monopolize the PCB market following the domestic ban. Authorities quickly discovered the illegal actions, prompting a cleanup solution that involved transferring the contaminated soil into a new landfill in Warren County, predominantly inhabited by Black residents.Local opposition surged, led by civil rights advocates, including Dr. Ben Chavis, who had faced wrongful conviction years earlier. Chavis's arrest during protests highlighted the underlying racism, coining the term “environmental racism.” Although the landfill plan progressed, the protests ignited widespread awareness and research on environmental inequality, culminating in the seminal report “Toxic Wastes and Race in the United States.” Today, the evolution towards environmental justice continues to resonate, with Chavis reminding attendees of ongoing global climate challenges.

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