Kobo was nine years old when she began suffering from asthma, headaches and nosebleeds. The girl’s mother soon noticed that the neighbors were experiencing the same symptoms. The Kobo family lived in a Los Angeles suburb populated mostly by poor immigrants from Latin America. The Allenco oil well was nearby. The local community began organizing protests, proving that the residents’ illnesses were caused by dirty emissions from oil production. Eventually, the well was shut down. But even then, the growing Naleli Kobo had not calmed down. Together with other activists and environmental organizations, she began to use the courts to force the city to implement additional safety standards for the oil industry. And she won.
Kobo and Greta Thunberg ran joint campaigns. The court is currently considering a criminal case against Allenco and its management. The company declined to comment. Earlier, its representatives said they had invested additional funds to comply with the new regulations. Kobo became a local celebrity and was able to participate in environmental campaigns with Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. But in early 2020, she had to take a break: the 19-year-old was diagnosed with cancer. Doctors could not find the cause of the disease.
“Налели became known as an activist in Los Angeles.” After three surgeries and intensive treatment, doctors say the girl has recovered. Here’s how she tells the story herself: “I grew up in the University Park area of South Los Angeles. Across the street from our house, there was an oil well that had been owned by AllenCo since 2009. We lived in one apartment – me, three siblings, my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-grandfather – eight people in all.
Since the age of nine, Naleli Kobo has been battling strange illnesses. My mother was from Mexico and my father was from Colombia. He was deported when I was two years old. In 2010, I fell ill unexpectedly. It started with episodes of nausea and abdominal cramps. I had become so weak that I felt like a frozen vegetable. Sometimes my mother had to carry me in her arms. Then the nosebleeds began – so severe that I slept sitting up so as not to choke on my own blood. The invisible killer was poisoning me in my own home.
The oil well is located in the middle of a residential area. “And others began to have health problems. My mother got asthma at 40, which is rare, and my grandmother got it at 70, which is even rarer. My sister developed pulmonary fibrosis, my brother has asthma. This did not just affect our family. The same thing happened to our neighbors. The mothers began to discuss it and came to the conclusion that something was wrong. But it was easy to guess. There were strange smells in the air. It smelled like rotten eggs, then guava, then chocolate – even with the windows closed and the air purifier on.
Nalali overcame her shyness for the common cause. First we looked for leaks in the house. Then we found toxicologists who agreed to come and investigate. They explained that there are certain chemicals used in oil production that are harmful to health when inhaled over long periods of time. Then we organized ourselves and started a campaign with the slogan: “People, not wells! A complaint was filed with the Department of Air Quality Control and the Los Angeles City Council. The Council scheduled hearings. Activists went door to door asking people if they wanted to come and tell their stories. It was so great: migrants will come to the city council to be heard! “I agreed to participate even though I had always been shy. I performed while looking at the notes on little pieces of paper. I liked it.” The hearings were covered by the Los Angeles Times. The story was brought to the attention of former California Senator Barbara Boxer.
Hollywood stars have come out in support of the young activist. On her initiative, inspectors from the Environmental Protection Agency came to our neighborhood and they were immediately sickened by the smells. In the end, Allenco had to shut down the well. We were happy, even though it took time. Our campaign began in 2010 and the well was temporarily shut in 2013. In 2016, the Los Angeles County Courts required the Company to comply with strict regulations in order to resume drilling. Our goal is to fully plug the well. As we began the campaign, we realized we were not alone. About 580,000 Los Angeles residents, mostly low-income ethnic minorities, live within a quarter-mile of active oil and gas wells.
“Naleli is preparing to become a civil rights attorney.” When I say I am from Los Angeles, people immediately exclaim: “Oh, Walk of Fame, Hollywood, stars…”. But Los Angeles is also the largest oil field within the city limits, which is not usually mentioned. I became a co-founder of the Coalition of Young Leaders of South and Central Los Angeles. In 2015, we filed a lawsuit against the city for violations of California’s environmental laws. We won. This means a new process for applying to drill new wells and expand production at existing wells. Although I have moved away from University Park, I am now working to establish a 2500 foot (750 m) buffer zone between oil wells and schools, hospitals, and parks.
The girl beat cancer. At the same time, I am a normal girl. I love cosmetics, dancing, traveling, and I study in college. What makes me different from others? I decided early on what I wanted to do in life. On January 15, 2020, I was diagnosed with cancer. I was afraid to say that word. No one expects to hear it applied to themselves at the age of 19. My mom and I were worried about the medical bills, of course. But we were fortunate enough to raise the necessary amount through crowdfunding. The hardest thing physically and emotionally was having a hysterectomy. It took me six weeks to get out of bed. For six months, my mother bathed me and I took dozens of pills.
“We are afraid for the ocean. Our whole life is connected to it. What happened in Kamchatka? My oncologist doesn’t know what caused my cancer, but the tests show that it’s not hereditary. I told him where I was from and asked if there were any tests that could establish a connection between a disease and the state of the environment. The doctor replied that with the current state of science one can only speculate. On January 18 of this year, I was told that I had recovered. There are no words to express how happy I am! Now I will continue my studies to become a civil rights lawyer, and in the future I dream of getting involved in politics. My understanding of environmental justice is simple: everyone has the right to breathe clean air, regardless of age, gender, nationality, income, or location. And I will protect my home and my neighbors.