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| Cenotaph - Memorial to the victims of the 1937 Texas School Explosion |
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Healthy Schools Hero Award 2009
Ruth Breech
Every year, to mark the anniversary of the March 18, 1937 Texas School
Explosion, I name a Healthy Schools Hero who
demonstrates extraordinary responsibility and inspirational leadership
for safety in schools. The 2009 Healthy Schools Hero Award winner is Ruth Breech, Program Director at Global Community Monitor
in El Cerrito, CA. Ruth Breech was nominated by Peter Fugazzotto,
Director of Oceans and Communities, for her work to protect school
children in Addyston, Ohio from the hazards
of toxic industrial pollution.
Described in the media as a "tenacious, high-energy community
activist," Breech is motivated to "tell the untold story" of the people
who suffer in silence in "fenceline" communities such as Addyston, OH.
Breech's leadership shows how individuals and community groups can work
together to break the silence about hazards and stimulate government agencies to take necessary action.The 2009 Healthy Schools Hero Award is an annual
opportunity to remember
the worst school disaster in American history and to raise awareness
about the urgent need for leadership to make today's schools the safe
havens our children deserve.
True -- it is painful to threaten the
illusion of safety in a school or community and to talk about death and loss. The survivors
of the New London School Explosion did not talk about their painful experiences for more than forty years.
Their stories show that it is even more painful to live
with a tragedy when opportunities to prevent loss were unseen or
overlooked.Like the Healthy Schools Heroes before her, I hope Ruth Breech's story can inspire others to break the silence about
environmental health hazards and to take action to save lives where
chemical hazards and other unhealthy conditions in school and
communities are routinely ignored.
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Ruth Breech's Story
Once upon a time in Addyston, Ohio
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