Rob Bilott, the ecologically minded lawyer who unveiled one of the most significant corporate cover-ups in history, will deliver a talk at Washington University in St. Louis as part of its Assembly Series. The event is scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday, April 7, at Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus. Furthermore, WU Cinema will host a complimentary screening of “Dark Waters,” a 2019 film inspired by Bilott’s journey, from 8-10:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 3, in Brown Hall, Room 100.
Participants must register for the talk and the screening.
Bilott is globally acknowledged for his pioneering, decades-long legal fight to hold DuPont responsible for polluting drinking water with dangerous substances. The New York Times has characterized Bilott as “the lawyer who turned into DuPont’s greatest nightmare.” His publication, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Struggle Against DuPont,” details his unyielding quest for justice.
In his presentation, Bilott will describe his transition from defending corporations to challenging one of the planet’s largest chemical corporations — acquiring over $1 billion in benefits for individuals exposed to contaminated water. Bilott engaged in class-action lawsuits, personal injury claims, multidistrict litigation, environmental examinations, regulatory initiatives, and advocacy efforts, utilizing scientific data to demonstrate health effects. From 2015 to 2017, Bilott settled personal injury cases for thousands of clients, amounting to $685 million.
Bilott will narrate how a West Virginia farmer, convinced that runoff from a nearby DuPont landfill had tainted his stream, ignited the revelation of a significant public health emergency.
Bilott has illuminated the worldwide effects of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances), a category of synthetic chemicals that resist degradation in the environment and within the human body. Among these, PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) are particularly infamous for their durability, toxicity, and extensive pollution.
By raising awareness about the hazards of previously unregulated substances and the shortcomings of environmental oversight, Bilott compelled those in power to take responsibility.
An advance viewing of the film “Dark Waters” will provide additional context prior to Bilott’s speech. The film stars Mark Ruffalo as Bilott, with Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, and Bill Pullman in supporting roles.
Bilott, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, has been honored with numerous awards, including the Right Livelihood Award, popularly referred to as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” He has repeatedly been recognized as one of the top attorneys in America and serves as a lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health.
Assembly Series events are complimentary and accessible to the community, but seating is limited. Large bags or backpacks will not be permitted in the venue. Parking is available in the Danforth University Center garage located at Forsyth Boulevard and Wallace Avenue.
This event is made possible by the Program in Public Health & Society in Arts & Sciences, the Center for the Environment, the Office of the Provost, the School of Public Health, WashU Law, and the Woman’s Club of Washington University.
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