Community Literature:Local Action, Global Reach: Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety Takes on the Big Guns

Local Action, Global Reach:
Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety (WCES) Takes on the Big Guns

by Laura Cherry

For much of my adult life, I've wondered -- in the breaths taken between moves, jobs, classes, and, most recently, 2 a.m. feedings -- how I could work more actively on behalf of the issues I care about. Many of my friends are caught in the same bind: in the limited time left at the end of the day or the week, what can one person really accomplish? The members of Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety (WCES), in Watertown, Massachusetts, have found an impressive answer to that question. A group with deep roots in its community, WCES has also formed national and international ties, influenced ground-breaking political decisions and legislation, and held a lot of tasty potlucks along the way.

The Birth of an Organization

Depending on where you live, you may never even have heard of Watertown. It sits just west of Cambridge, which rings a bell for most people; with its concentration of academics and free thinkers of all varieties, Cambridge is known for progressive political activity. Watertown, though, is smaller, more sedate, less attention-getting in every way -- so when I moved here a few years ago, I was pleasantly surprised to find Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety, quietly and not so quietly getting the job done.

The group's dual focus on environmental and peace work is deeply embedded in its past. WCES was founded in 1979 to look at the dangers of the Watertown Arsenal, which housed a nuclear reactor that had been decommissioned in 1970 but which still had a radioactive core -- and an ongoing practice of burning depleted uranium. By the time its current president, Susan Falkoff, joined in 1982, WCES had become Watertown's nuclear freeze group. "At that point during the Reagan years, it really seemed like doomsday was near," says Falkoff.

In 1987, WCES returned to its original focus when the first reports emerged about the possible closing of the Watertown Arsenal, noting that it would cost $200 million to remove the contents. WCES members began to wonder what was so dangerous that it would cost so much to take away. Falkoff headed up the environmental task force that took on the project of paying attention to what was happening at the Arsenal, and she was subsequently appointed to the town's reuse committee.

It was a learning experience. "If people are paying attention to what you say, you have to speak more carefully," notes Falkoff. She chaired an environmental subcommittee that attended regular meetings with the Army and ultimately had an impact on how the Arsenal was cleaned up.

"We were one of the first military sites to close, and the Army was mistrustful about how much they should share with us. They came to see that if they treated us responsibly, we would behave responsibly back," Falkoff says. "I think that had national implications, because the process became more and more open, there was more community involvement at more sites, and that was officially encouraged at the highest levels of the Pentagon."

The Arsenal cleanup is ongoing, under the watchful eye of WCES. The developed portion of the site, which is owned by Harvard University, is now off the Superfund list and is "clean"; institutional controls are in place and any reuse must go before the EPA for approval. It has been deemed safe for its current uses.

The Beat Goes On: WCES in the Here and Now

For the past two years -- since the U.S. military response to 9/11, and given Republican incursions on the environment, tax fairness, and civil liberties -- WCES has been in a growth phase. For the several years before that, the group was in a steady state, working on miscellaneous projects, often functioning as "committees of one" as individual members investigated issues such as cleanup of the Charles River, global warming, and improving recycling, and reported back to the others. In fact, various subprojects of WCES have become their own organizations, as particular issues took on their own momentum. These include Trees for Watertown, the Recycling Committee, and the Watertown - El Salvador Sister City group, which supports the Nueva Esperanza (formerly Tremedal) community and regional projects in the Chalatenango province of El Salvador.

One long-held WCES tradition is its annual ceremony on August 6th, commemorating the lives lost in the bombing of Hiroshima, with a goal of reaffirming the commitment to prevent nuclear war. At times, the event has been extremely controversial, according to Falkoff: "For years, we were despised for that, and people would write hysterical letters to the editor about how awful we were to be doing this. They were not understanding what our point was." Falkoff describes the event as a beautiful and moving ceremony that often attracts media attention as well as evoking strong emotional reactions. "We go down to the river and light candle boats and set them adrift - we've improved the technology of how to float candles over the years."

How many people does an organization like WCES need to function? According to Falkoff, the numbers are fairly consistent - 8 to 10 people who come to the meetings, around 20 who take an active interest, and a mailing list that for years was stable at 400 to 500 (but which has grown to 700 or more due to recent outreach efforts). "There are a lot of people who have been really glad we're there, even though they don't actively participate," says Falkoff, who is often the one opening the mail, sorting contribution checks and letters of thanks. "It's actually really moving to me, the consistency of support - people write notes and say, 'We're so glad you're doing this.'"

Falkoff says, "I think a real achievement of the group is that we've kept it going. We have an infrastructure that's been steady," and which gives activists the support to join and take on their own hot topics.

What's Ahead for WCES

Though Falkoff says that replacing Bush in the White House in 2004 is definitely a goal, WCES makes it a policy not to officially endorse candidates, thus avoiding internal conflict. In the most recent Massachusetts gubernatorial race, for example, various members were passionate supporters of Democratic candidates Robert Reich, Warren Tolman and Shannon O’Brien, and the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein. For WCES to choose just one of these candidates to support would have inevitably alienated some members, so the campaigning is wisely left to individuals.

More clearly mandated WCES goals include local traffic calming, ongoing cleanups, and maintaining a visible presence for peace. One member is looking into the issue of regulating ultra-polluting gas-powered leaf blowers. If WCES succeeds in having them banned, it would be the first such ordinance passed on the East Coast.

On Task: Watertown Speaks out for Justice with Peace

WCES houses numerous committees and subprojects that reflect its varied facets. One of these, the Justice with Peace Task Force, was founded following 9/11/01, on the impetus of Alex Liazos, WCES member and former Town Councilor. The mission of the Task Force is "to provide a forum for discussion and action for those residents of Watertown who opposed the US military response to terrorism or who are troubled by the US response and want to explore alternatives."

WCES members protesting the war in Iraq, February 15, 2003. The Task Force has provided a way to connect the local work that WCES does with state-wide and national efforts. Preceding and during the Iraq war, the group participated in a number of Boston-area United for Justice with Peace rallies and in multi-community vigils that gathered residents of five local towns. The Task Force organized two buses to attend the "World Says NO to War" demonstration in New York City on February 15, 2003 -- part of a protest that drew millions of participants worldwide. A Task Force delegate attended the United for Peace and Justice National Strategy Conference, held in Chicago in June.

Tony Palomba, longtime Boston-area activist and Task Force member, says, "We have a core who come to meetings and a core email group who appreciate the mailings." Palomba says that one function of the Task Force is "providing a space for [people] to be a part of something." Like WCES as a whole, the Task Force provides an infrastructure that gives people a place to turn when they find they just can't sit back and watch the way the world is going.

But it isn't all leafleting and signature gathering; relaxing and building community are part of the picture too. In July the Task Force is hosting a potluck picnic, featuring a performance of Dr. Seuss's "The Lorax" by the WCES Children's Committee, which is designed to give politically inclined youngsters a positive outlet for their energy.

What does the Task Force have planned for the current limbo that may prove to be "between wars"? Starting in October, the group will hold a series of six Freedom Forums, focusing on the ongoing war on terror and its domestic and international consequences. The talks are designed to tap into Watertown citizens' various interests and keep them thinking.

Palomba acknowledges that it can be hard to motivate people politically when there's no current crisis. "We try to provide people with an analysis and an education that brings them beyond the most recent invasion," he says.

How does this work translate into change? Palomba would of course like to see the "regime change at home" in 2004 that most progressives hope for, but on a smaller scale, he hopes the Task Force "gives people a broader understanding of power and policy," more of a framework for questioning the status quo.

PURE Power

Of course, WCES keeps environmental issues at the forefront too; the Pesticide Use Reduction and Education (PURE) committee is one of the subgroups engaging with those concerns. PURE was founded by Henrietta Light, who heard about WCES seven years ago, during a chat with a friend in a local health food store. She began to attend meetings regularly. "Throughout my professional life I had been a rabid voice against toxic chemicals," says Light, an organic horticultural consultant whose extensive work has included tending the gardens and greenhouses of the Lyman Estate in Waltham, MA, for eight years, without the use of pesticides.

After Light joined WCES, there was a movement afoot to pass the Massachusetts Children's and Families' Protection Act, which primarily addresses and limits the use of pesticides in schools, day care centers, and school-age childcare programs. The legislation had been sitting in committee for a long time; WCES and other organizations began to circulate petitions to gather signatures for a referendum. Through the pressure exerted on legislators by these local groups, the act was ultimately passed.

Light began the monthly WCES column in the Watertown Tab, which focuses on organic garden and land care as well as other WCES concerns, and, with Fiona Bennie, founded PURE. Last year, PURE received a grant to develop a portable educational exhibit warning of the dangers of pesticides. The exhibit has been displayed at the Watertown Faire on the Square and numerous local churches, schools, and community gatherings. PURE has also developed a whimsical “Pesticide Free” yard sign to counter the pesticide warnings displayed on so many lawns, and is encouraging local businesses to reduce or curtail the use of pesticides on their grounds, especially in areas where children are likely to play.

The Long Haul

To fight burnout, "it's important to understand that it's a long-term effort," says Susan Falkoff.

A community of like-minded colleagues can be a source of optimism leading to deep disappointment. "It was devastating when I wasn't able to stop the war," says Falkoff with a sardonic chuckle. "I really thought we had a good shot at stopping it," agrees Palomba, referring not just to WCES, but to the many organizations across the world with which it is in solidarity.

That's where the small scale of community activism can be a boon: Falkoff fights discouragement by working on local projects where she knows she can be effective. When Palomba has sustained one defeat too many, he is inspired to keep going by the people he works with.

About long-term goals, Light says, "I've never ever been any kind of planner - all I can do is talk passionately about what I believe in." Still, she adds, "there's always someone who wants to do the thing you don't want to do. All you have to do is find them." Groups like WCES make it possible for committed folks with different driving forces and skills to find each other, and do more than any one person could dream of achieving alone.

To me, the most inspiring thing about WCES is its make-up of ordinary people with demanding jobs and home lives and consuming interests of all sorts, people for whom time is every bit as precious and hard to come by as it is for me. Yet for 24 years, they've worked to educate and protect their community, helping to make the world cleaner and safer for everyone. Lately, I've attended a few WCES meetings myself, looking for the thing I want to do that no one else wants to, and finding some hope in a respite from hype.

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Laura Cherry is a poet and freelance technical writer. She holds a Masters in Fine Arts from Warren Wilson College, and was the 2002 winner of the Philbrick Award for her poetry chapbook What We Planted. Laura is a new member of Watertown Citizens for Environmental Safety and a contributing editor for Kmareka.com.

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