Sharon Lavigne | |
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Sharon Lavigne (born May 1950) is an American environmental justice activist in Louisiana focused on combating petrochemical complexes in Cancer Alley. [1] [2] She is the 2022 recipient of the Laetare Medal, the highest honor for American Catholics, and a 2021 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Lavigne, who is from St. James Parish, Louisiana which is at the center of the alley, has testified before Congress, and runs a faith-based organization, RISE St. James, focused on preventing expansion and worsening petrochemical plant pollution in the area. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Lavigne is also a collaborator on the Coalition Against Death Alley, a regional environmental justice group. [3] She is also a plaintiff in White Hat v. Landry, an environmental justice case, focused on changes in Louisiana Oil and Gas law. [6]
Lavigne is focused in part on defending the cultural heritage of the African American community. [2] In 2019, she organized the community against a new Formosa Plastics Corp factory that would have disrupted a slave grave in the community. [2] [3] [4] In December 2020, the plant's process was stalled by court ruling. [7] She had previously help stall similar projects from Wanhua Chemical Group and South Louisiana Methanol.
Lavigne was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2021. [8] [9] She was named the 2022 recipient of the University of Notre Dame's Laetare Medal on March 27, 2022. [10] The same year, RISE, Earthjustice, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and other plaintiffs won a lawsuit against Formosa that argued the potential air pollution of the proposed plant would violate federal standards. [11]
Lavigne is a retired special education teacher. [3] Her father was a sugarcane farmer in the area, and her mother a homemaker. [3] Her family participated in civil rights actions in the area during the civil rights movement. [3]
She is also a Black Catholic, a parishioner at St. James Catholic Church in St. James, Louisiana.
Sharon Lavigne | |
---|---|
Sharon Lavigne (born May 1950) is an American environmental justice activist in Louisiana focused on combating petrochemical complexes in Cancer Alley. [1] [2] She is the 2022 recipient of the Laetare Medal, the highest honor for American Catholics, and a 2021 recipient of the Goldman Environmental Prize.
Lavigne, who is from St. James Parish, Louisiana which is at the center of the alley, has testified before Congress, and runs a faith-based organization, RISE St. James, focused on preventing expansion and worsening petrochemical plant pollution in the area. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
Lavigne is also a collaborator on the Coalition Against Death Alley, a regional environmental justice group. [3] She is also a plaintiff in White Hat v. Landry, an environmental justice case, focused on changes in Louisiana Oil and Gas law. [6]
Lavigne is focused in part on defending the cultural heritage of the African American community. [2] In 2019, she organized the community against a new Formosa Plastics Corp factory that would have disrupted a slave grave in the community. [2] [3] [4] In December 2020, the plant's process was stalled by court ruling. [7] She had previously help stall similar projects from Wanhua Chemical Group and South Louisiana Methanol.
Lavigne was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2021. [8] [9] She was named the 2022 recipient of the University of Notre Dame's Laetare Medal on March 27, 2022. [10] The same year, RISE, Earthjustice, Louisiana Bucket Brigade, and other plaintiffs won a lawsuit against Formosa that argued the potential air pollution of the proposed plant would violate federal standards. [11]
Lavigne is a retired special education teacher. [3] Her father was a sugarcane farmer in the area, and her mother a homemaker. [3] Her family participated in civil rights actions in the area during the civil rights movement. [3]
She is also a Black Catholic, a parishioner at St. James Catholic Church in St. James, Louisiana.