Community Wins
Major Victory for Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish in Louisiana’s “Cancer Alley”
Following years of community advocacy by the Concerned Citizens of St. John’s Parish and collaboration with UNHR to raise awareness about the devastating health impacts caused by industrial pollution in the Louisiana’s Cancer Alley, local residents achieved legal wins. On February 28, 2023, the U.S. Justice Department sued Denka Performance Elastomer LLC, the company responsible for the pollution, under Section 303 of the Clean Air Act. A few weeks later, on March 20, Concerned Citizens celebrated another major victory when the Justice Department filed a motion for a preliminary injunction, seeking to compel Denka to significantly reduce emissions of the carcinogen chloroprene. UNHR congratulates Concerned Citizens for these promising developments, which are a testament to the community's courage, tenacity, and drive.
Since our founding, the University Network has partnered closely with Concerned Citizens of St. John Parish, a community group fighting toxic air pollution from the Denka neoprene facility in Louisiana's "Cancer Alley." Our work with Concerned Citizens has been featured in the CBS Evening News and The Guardian, among other outlets.
No North Brooklyn Pipeline Coalition and Sane Energy Project Defeat National Grid’s Fracked Gas Project
On March 16, 2023, in a major victory for our community partners, the New York State Public Service Commission determined that National Grid's proposed LNG vaporizers are not needed for at least the next five years. Shortly thereafter, National Grid officially withdrew its permit application for the vaporizers. This victory would not have happened without the relentless organizing efforts of our community partners, and we are proud to have played a role in their fight.
Since 2020, the University Network for Human Rights has partnered with New York-based Sane Energy Project and No North Brooklyn Pipeline Coalition to challenge utility company National Grid's bid to build new fracked gas infrastructure near environmental justice communities in Brooklyn. We filed litigation challenging National Grid's attempted construction of two Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) vaporizers and an LNG trucking station.
Landmark Victory with Eight Indigenous Aymara Families in Bolivia
After 16 years of litigation, eight Aymara families settled a landmark lawsuit against Bolivia’s ex-president & defense minister for their role in Bolivia’s “Black October” massacres. UNHR Legal & Policy Director Thomas Becker, who has served as lead attorney in this case, celebrated the historic victory with the families in Bolivia.
In 2003, Bolivian state forces massacred indigenous protestors and community members, killing dozens and injuring hundreds. Following the killings, the former president of Bolivia, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, and the former Minister of Defense, Carlos Sánchez Berzaín, fled to the United States. The case marks the first time a former head of state has faced his accusers in a US courtroom. The settlement preserves the verdict of a federal jury in Florida that found the two officials liable for the extrajudicial killings of the plaintiffs’ family members. The families will receive an undisclosed sum of compensation.
Connecticut Renters Fighting Eviction
In February 2024, the University Network for Human Rights sent a letter in support of the Cargill Tenants Union and the tenants at The Lofts at Cargill Falls in Putnam, Connecticut to their landlord and relevant government officials. These residents have been organizing to address extreme health and safety hazards.
The tenant union's organizing ensured that no tenants were forcibly evicted. They were each given the option to either keep six months of withheld rent or sign a re-negotiated lease. The union remediated the complex for future tenants, and their actions pushed the EPA to issue an administrative order against their landlord.