▁called ▁E ko ▁K rog ▁(" E co ▁Circle "), ▁organized ▁local ▁residents ▁to ▁collect ▁data ▁on ▁air ▁poll ution ; ▁though ▁they ▁presented ▁this ▁to ▁the ▁media , ▁it ▁had ▁little ▁impact . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁La far ge ▁applied ▁for ▁a ▁permit ▁to ▁burn ▁ha z ard ous ▁waste ▁at ▁the ▁plant ; ▁Mac er l ' s ▁property ▁fell ▁within ▁the ▁zone ▁that ▁the ▁company ▁said ▁would ▁be ▁affected , ▁allowing ▁him ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁permit ▁in ▁court . ▁Mac er l ▁was ▁the ▁only ▁person ▁leg ally ▁permitted ▁to ▁make ▁this ▁challenge ▁before ▁the ▁European ▁Commission , ▁where ▁the ▁legal ▁battle ▁went ▁from ▁the ▁local ▁authorities . ▁The ▁Commission ▁ruled ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁and ▁La far ge ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁stop ▁c ement ▁production ▁at ▁the ▁plant . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁Mac er l ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Gold man ▁Environment al ▁Prize , ▁described ▁in ▁the ▁Sloven ian ▁media ▁as ▁being ▁a ▁Nobel ▁Prize ▁for ▁environmental ▁activ ism . ▁Mac er l ' s ▁legal ▁battle ▁led ▁to ▁him ▁separ ating ▁from ▁his ▁sp ouse . ▁He ▁has ▁said ▁that ▁his ▁effort ▁had ▁taught ▁his ▁three ▁children ▁" that ▁the ▁struggle ▁was ▁worth ▁it ". ▁ ▁Notes ▁and ▁references ▁ ▁Sloven ia ▁Category : Organ ic ▁far mers ▁Category : S lo ven ian ▁activ ists ▁Category : S lo ven ian ▁environmental ists <0x0A> </s> ▁The ▁Arizona ▁ 1 st