▁train ▁and ▁support ▁local ▁activ ists ▁with ▁their ▁environmental ▁work . ▁She ▁continues ▁to ▁work ▁with ▁the ▁organization , ▁renamed ▁the ▁Center ▁for ▁Health , ▁Environment , ▁and ▁Justice ▁( CH E J ). ▁ ▁Career ▁Gib bs ' s ▁invol vement ▁in ▁environmental ▁causes ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 8 ▁when ▁she ▁discovered ▁that ▁her ▁ 5 - year - old ▁son ' s ▁elementary ▁school ▁in ▁Ni ag ara ▁F alls , ▁New ▁York ▁was ▁built ▁on ▁a ▁to xic ▁waste ▁dump . ▁The ▁complete ▁story ▁was ▁reported ▁on ▁and ▁discovered ▁by ▁Ni ag ara ▁Gazette ▁rep orter ▁Michael ▁H . ▁Brown ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁Cal span , ▁a ▁private ▁research ▁group ▁who ▁discovered ▁the ▁chemical ▁leak ▁at ▁Love ▁Canal . ▁Sub sequ ent ▁investigation ▁revealed ▁that ▁her ▁entire ▁neighborhood , ▁Love ▁Canal , ▁had ▁been ▁built ▁on ▁top ▁of ▁this ▁dump . ▁With ▁no ▁prior ▁experience ▁in ▁community ▁activ ism , ▁Gib bs ▁organized ▁her ▁neighb ors ▁and ▁formed ▁the ▁Love ▁Canal ▁Home own ers ▁Association . ▁Gib bs ▁created ▁a ▁pet ition ▁and ▁reached ▁out ▁to ▁the ▁residents ▁of ▁her ▁neighborhood ▁by ▁going ▁door - to - door ▁to ▁gather ▁support . ▁Gib bs ' ▁efforts ▁centered ▁her ▁role ▁as ▁a ▁mother ▁fighting ▁to ▁protect ▁her ▁children ' s ▁health . ▁She ▁led ▁her ▁community ▁in ▁a ▁battle ▁against ▁the ▁local , ▁state , ▁and ▁federal ▁govern ments ▁by ▁present ing ▁the ▁sign atures ▁to ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁Department ▁of ▁Health . ▁After ▁years ▁of ▁struggle ,