Kimberly Wasserman

Little Village Environmental Justice Organization protesters against coal fired plant
Wasserman led LVEJO's campaign for the shutdown of the Crawford and Fisk coal-fired plants.

Kimberly Wasserman (Kimberly Wasserman Nieto) is an American environmentalist and grassroots leader[1] As director of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), she is a recipient of the 2013 Goldman Environmental Prize[2] for leading the successful lobbying campaign for the passage of the Chicago Clean Power Ordinance that resulted in the closing of the Crawford and Fisk coal-fired power plants.[3]

Wasserman was raised in Little Village, Illinois. She entered the world of environmental activism in 1998 after her three-month-old son suffered an asthma attack despite having no family history of asthma.[4] After researching the connection between asthma and air pollution,[5] she turned her attention to the coal-fired plants in her neighborhood and became involved with LVEJO. LVEJO is an organization that advocates for environmental justice in Little Village and throughout Chicago.[6]

Wasserman started as a community organizer for LVEJO for seven years and has been an executive director since 2005.[7] In 2002, LVEJO first mobilized politically against the emissions coming from the two plants.[4] They organized the collection of signatures to get a referendum on the 2003 City Hall ballot requiring the two plants to either drastically reduce pollution or shut down.[4] While they weren't able to get the immediate support from their aldermen, after a ten-year battle to sway their opinion, they were ultimately successful. On February 28, 2012, it was announced that the Fisk and Crawford plants would be permanently shut down.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Looking Back On 2013: Activism Helps Heal". Huffington Post. December 16, 2013. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  2. ↑ "Prize Recipient - Kimberly Wasserman". The Goldman Environmental Prize. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  3. ↑ "Protesters Want Mayor, City Council To Pass 'Clean Power Ordinance'". CBS Chicago. December 20, 2011. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Wernau, Julie (September 2, 2012). "Fisk, Crawford coal plants had long history, as did battle to close them". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  5. ↑ "Asthma". Center for Disease Control. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  6. ↑ "Mission Statement". Little Village Environmental Justice Organization. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
  7. ↑ Puga, Kristina (April 15, 2013). "Latina Leaders: Chicago's Erin Brokovich wins environmental prize". NBC Latino. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
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