Environmental Justice and Mental Health in Niagara Falls

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The communities of Niagara Falls, New York, face environmental burdens that extend beyond physical health and profoundly shape mental health, identity, and daily life for young people in the region. In response, many community members have taken active roles in environmental justice efforts to address ongoing issues and advocate for change.

Join the Pulitzer Center for a virtual webinar exploring the connection between pollution, environmental justice, and mental health. The conversation will feature Brian Archie, Bridge Rauch, Christen E. Civiletto, and Pulitzer Center grantee Jennifer Wybieracki. Together, the panelists will reflect on Wybieracki's report “How Two Teens in Niagara Falls Are Confronting Pollution and a Mental Health Crisis,” and discuss how environmental harm impacts communities emotionally and psychologically, while highlighting the role of storytelling, advocacy, and community action in addressing these challenges.

On Thursday, June 11, 2026, the panelists will bring a perspective of journalism, environmental law, advocacy, and lived experience to highlight how pollution affects mental health in youth and historically impacted communities. Attendees will gain insight into the implications of environmental crises on communities and learn how storytelling can support advocacy, engagement, and change.

The conversation will be moderated by Pulitzer Center staff, followed by an audience Q&A. Registration is required.

Panelists include: 

• Jennifer Wybieracki is a journalist focused on environmental justice and the relationship between people and their environment. She was a 2024 Pulitzer Center Campus Consortium Fellow and a 2025 Mental Well-Being in the U.S. Reporting Fellow while completing her master’s degree at Syracuse University. Her work has been published by Inside Climate News and Native News Online. Before pursuing journalism, she studied conservation biology and environmental writing.
• Christen E. Civiletto is an environmental lawyer, author, law school adjunct at SUNY Buffalo Law, and a former Niagara Falls resident. She earned her law degree from Vanderbilt Law School and has spearheaded litigation on behalf of hundreds of sick Niagara County residents in high-profile toxic tort cases against municipalities and major chemical polluters. Her forthcoming release, Thundering Waters: The Toxic Legacy of Niagara Falls (Princeton University Press/Island Press Imprint, 2026), exposes a story of exploitation and ongoing abuse lurking in the shadows of one of the world’s most treasured natural wonders.
• Brian Archie is a lifelong resident of Niagara Falls and organizer for Health Justice. He serves as executive director of Create a Healthier Niagara Falls Collaborative, leading efforts to expand food access, promote physical activity, and strengthen community connections. 
  Archie also serves as a Niagara Falls city councilman and contributes his leadership to several local and statewide boards and initiatives focused on housing, racial equity, and environmental justice. 
• Bridge Rauch is an environmental justice organizer for the Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, based in Buffalo. Clean Air supports fenceline and frontline residents and workers organizing for environmental justice and public health, using a Just Transition framework. Rauch has a master's in regional planning from the University at Albany, and has worked in the Buffalo-area nonprofit field since 2009, including since 2021 as a staff member at Clean Air.