Rob Bilott, the environmental attorney who exposed one of the worst corporate cover-ups in history, will speak at Washington University in St. Louis as part of its Assembly Series. The event will take place at 5 p.m. Monday, April 7, in Graham Chapel on the Danforth Campus. Additionally, WU Cinema will present a free screening of “Dark Waters,” a 2019 movie based on Bilott’s story, from 8-10:15 p.m. Thursday, April 3, in Brown Hall, Room 100.
Registration is required for the lecture and the screening.
Bilott is internationally recognized for his groundbreaking, decades-long legal battle to hold DuPont accountable for contaminating drinking water with harmful chemicals. The New York Times has described Bilott as “the lawyer who became DuPont’s worst nightmare.” His book, “Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed and One Lawyer’s Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont,” recounts his relentless pursuit of justice.
During his talk, Bilott will share how he went from defending corporations to taking on one of the world’s biggest chemical giants — securing over $1 billion in benefits for those exposed to toxic drinking water. Bilott pursued class-action lawsuits, personal injury claims, multidistrict litigation, environmental investigations, regulatory petitions and legislative advocacy, leveraging scientific research to establish health impacts. Between 2015-17, Bilott settled personal injury claims representing thousands of clients and totaling more than $670 million.
Bilott will recount how a West Virginia farmer, convinced runoff from a nearby DuPont landfill had poisoned his creek, set off the discovery of a massive public health crisis.
Bilott revealed the global impact of “forever chemicals” known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkylated substances), a group of human-made chemicals that resist breaking down in the environment and the human body. Among them, PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate) are particularly notorious for their persistence, toxicity and widespread contamination.
By shedding light on the dangers of previously unregulated chemicals and the failures of environmental oversight, Bilott forced accountability at the highest levels.
An advance viewing of the film “Dark Waters” will give more insights prior to Bilott’s talk. The movie features Mark Ruffalo as Bilott, alongside Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins and Bill Pullman.
Bilott, a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister, has received numerous accolades, including the Right Livelihood Award, known as the “Alternative Nobel Prize.” He has been named one of the best lawyers in America multiple times and serves as a lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health.
Assembly Series programs are free and open to the public, although seating is limited. No large bags or backpacks will be allowed into the event. 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, Office of the Provost, the School of Public Health, WashU Law and the Woman’s Club of Washington University.
