That illegal dumping of toxic waste in Warren County ended up sparking local residents, fueled by the spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, to fight back. A statement from the state government — that it was moving forward with its plan to build a toxic waste landfill in the Warren County town of Afton regardless of public sentiment, regardless of whether the people wanted it or not — was all over the news, including a local NPR station. "It's focusing on local issues and yet being part of a bigger story — Warren County was very successful at doing this," says Eileen McGurty, author of the book Transforming Environmentalism: Warren County, PCBs, and the Origins of Environmental Justice.