stephen lester toxicologist summit love canl

Prominent Love Canal Toxicologist to Speak in Wausau

 

Love Canal has been considered by many to be one of the worst environmental disasters in American history. Now, on June 3, Wausonians will get to hear from an expert who was actually there.

The toxicologist who the State of New York had appointed to work with the Love Canal community at the height of the crisis, Stephen Lester, will be speaking on Saturday, June 3, at 9am at the Jefferson Street Inn.

His speech, “Truth and Consequences,” will address the importance and role of scientific information in community organizing and will cover issues such as having a plan for how best to use scientific information, the importance of knowing what scientific information can and cannot tell you and what we know about how mixtures of toxic chemicals affect the human body.

Admission is completely free to the public, but citizens should RSVP online to reserve their seat at:
WausauEnvironmentalSummit.rsvpify.com

The Wausau event is sponsored by Citizens for a Clean Wausau (CCW), and is part of the 2023 Midwest Environmental Health Summit. CCW Co-Spokesperson, Terry Kilian, says the event is a unique opportunity for local residents: “It’s amazing that these speakers will be involved in a Wausau event. Some of them are part of national history or have made national history when it comes to environmental issues.”

Recently on Panel of Experts in East Palestine, Extensive Experience with Dioxin

Lester holds Toxicology and Environmental Health degrees from Harvard University and New York University (NYU) respectively.

He recently served on a panel of experts in East Palestine at a town meeting following the catastrophic train derailment there.

His piece on dioxin testing and the East Palestine train derailment was featured in The Guardian in March.

He has contributed to two significant reports on dioxin: “Dying from Dioxin,” and “The American People’s Report on Dioxin,” and currently serves as the Science Director for CHEJ.

Lester Had Evaluated Two Contaminated Sites in Wausau

Mr. Lester is not unfamiliar with Wausau. In the past, concerned by what they considered an inadequate government response, some Wausau residents contacted Lester and asked if he would review environmental data from Riverside Park and part of the former Connor Forest Industries property on Wausau’s southwest side. He did. Years later, both sites are under DNR oversight and will undergo significant remediation.

“He is not just nationally known, but made a positive impact in our community,” said Randy Radtke, Co-Spokesperson of CCW. “It is exciting that he will be presenting in town next month.”