EarthJustice
Serving as President of Earthjustice Has Been the Greatest Honor of My Life Serving as President of Earthjustice Has Been the Greatest Honor of My Life On Oct. 1, Trip Van Noppen hands leadership of Earthjustice to Abigail Dillen. On the cusp of his retirement, Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen is confident that we’ve built the organization not only for this moment, but also for future progress. Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice After more than a decade as Earthjustice’s president, I am passing the torch to a wonderful new leader. Abbie Dillen, our vice president of litigation for climate and energy, will be the organization’s next president, and I could not be happier with…
Why Hurricane Florence Could Become a Public Health CrisisWhy Hurricane Florence Could Become a Public Health Crisis In the path of the storm are giant pits filled with coal ash, lagoons swirling with hog manure, Superfund sites and industrial facilities stocked with toxic chemicals. These North Carolina coal power plants and coal ash storage pits were flooded during Hurricane Matthew in 2016. The flooding potential for Hurricane Florence is even higher and more widespread. Photo Courtesy of Waterkeeper Alliance People in the southeastern U.S. are facing life threatening winds and rains from Hurricane Florence. Less obvious, but also of great concern, is the public health threat posed by…
Court Victory Signals Hope for Communities Threatened by Toxic Coal AshCourt Victory Signals Hope for Communities Threatened by Toxic Coal Ash A recent court victory means that cities like Danville, Illinois, stuck for years with so-called “legacy” coal ash ponds, may now have a way forward. Andrew Rehn looks at toxic coal ash waste seepage on the shore of the Middle Fork of the Vermilion River. Zbigniew Bzdak / Chicago Tribune / TNS via Getty Images Danville, Illinois, is a small industrial Midwest city hoping to transform its image from “the cheapest place to live in America” to a popular recreational tourism destination. The centerpiece of that tourism plan is…
It’s Official! California Is Moving Toward Zero-Carbon EnergyIt’s Official! California Is Moving Toward Zero-Carbon Energy California Governor Jerry Brown just signed a bill to reach 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. Earthjustice California Policy Advocate Erica Martinez hands the signing pen to California Governor Jerry Brown during the SB 100 signing ceremony. The law mandates 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2045. Photo courtesy of State of California Today, California Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 100, one of the world’s most ambitious clean energy bills into law. The bill sets a 100 percent clean electricity goal for California, proving that it’s possible to power major economies entirely…
New Mexico Solar Installer Joins Fight Against Unfair Fee — and WinsNew Mexico Solar Installer Joins Fight Against Unfair Fee — and Wins The New Mexico Public Regulation Commission canceled a local utility’s solar surcharge. Sunny skies are the norm in southeastern New Mexico. But until recently, an unfair fee by the local utility limited local residents’ ability to embrace solar power. mrossbach / Getty Images Southeastern New Mexico is one of the sunniest places in this country. In fact, it’s so sunny in Chris Dizon’s hometown of Eunice, New Mexico, that a football field’s worth of solar panels could generate enough electricity to power close to 750 homes. Inspired by…
Grizzlies ‘Saved His Life’ and Now He Fights To Save TheirsGrizzlies ‘Saved His Life’ and Now He Fights To Save Theirs Naturalist and author Doug Peacock talks about the government’s decision to delist grizzlies and why now—more than ever—we need to “fight like hell” to save them. Doug Peacock stands on the edge of the Yellowstone River in Emigrant, Montana. Tom Robertson Recently, Earthjustice attorneys presented oral arguments in federal court in Missoula, Mont., in our lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's illegal decision to strip Yellowstone's grizzly bears of endangered species protections. Though the judge has extended a temporary restraining order stopping Wyoming and Idaho’s planned grizzly hunt that was…
Todos los depositarios de ceniza de carbón en Indiana tienen fugas, aseguran nuevos estudiosTodos los depositarios de ceniza de carbón en Indiana tienen fugas, aseguran nuevos estudios Mientras nuevas investigaciones evidencian una contaminación generalizada, industrias pro-carbón quieren debilitar la actual normativa federal y cederle a estados como Indiana, con una triste historia regulando desechos tóxicos, la capacidad de hacer sus propias leyes. Barbara Deardorff saca agua de su grifo en Wheatfield, Indiana. Productos químicos peligrosos de un depósito para cenizas de carbón se han filtrado en el agua subterránea local. ALEX GARCIA FOR EARTHJUSTICE Como escritora de Earthjustice, a menudo cuento historias sobre personas de todo el país que me inspiran, luchando contra…
New Tests Reveal 15 out of 15 of Indiana’s Coal Ash Sites Are LeakingNew Tests Reveal 15 out of 15 of Indiana’s Coal Ash Sites Are Leaking As new research reveals widespread contamination, pro-coal industries are pushing to weaken federal rules on coal ash and give regulatory authority back to states like Indiana, which has a dismal record on regulating this toxic waste. Barbara Deardorff draws water from her tap in Wheatfield, Indiana. Dangerous chemicals from a nearby coal ash pond have leached into the local groundwater. Alex Garcia for Earthjustice As a writer for Earthjustice, I often tell stories about people from across the country who inspire me with their tales of…
Indigenous Australians Take Fight Against Giant Coal Mine to the United NationsIndigenous Australians Take Fight Against Giant Coal Mine to the United Nations To protect their fundamental human rights, the Wangan and Jagalingou have been forced to seek help from a United Nations watchdog. Wangan and Jagalingou cultural leader Adrian Burragubba visits Doongmabulla Springs in Australia. The Wangan and Jagalingou are fighting a proposed coal mine that would likely destroy the springs, which are sacred to the Indigenous Australian group. Photo Courtesy of Wangan and Jagalingou For tens of thousands of years, the Wangan and Jagalingou people have lived in the flat arid lands of central Queensland, Australia. But now they…
Mientras California arde en incendios forestales, Trump y Zinke dicen que lo mejor es talar bosquesMientras California arde en incendios forestales, Trump y Zinke dicen que lo mejor es talar bosques La administración Trump y los republicanos de la Cámara utilizan como excusa a los incendios forestales de la costa oeste para eliminar leyes fundamentales a favor del medio ambiente Un automóvil pasa por entre las llamas durante el incendio Carr, en Shasta, California. El Secretario de Interior, Ryan Zinke, ha declarado falsamente que mayores talas forestales contribuirían a prevenir los devastadores incendios que azotan el Oeste. NOAH BERGER / AP El Secretario de Interior de Estados Unidos, Ryan Zinke, comentó recientemente que “los ecologistas…
As California Burns, Trump and Zinke Use Catastrophe to Benefit IndustryAs California Burns, Trump and Zinke Use Catastrophe to Benefit Industry The Trump administration and House Republicans are using the fires across the West as an excuse to chip away at bedrock environmental laws. A car passes through flames as the Carr Fire burns in Shasta, California. U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has falsely suggested that more logging would help prevent the devastating fires raging across the West. Noah Berger / AP U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke wrote recentlythat “radical environmentalists would rather see forest and communities burn than see a logger in the woods. ” In Zinke’s zero-sum equation,…
Regulatory ‘Burden’? A Mere $2,000 Would Have Saved This Man’s NeighborhoodRegulatory ‘Burden’? A Mere $2,000 Would Have Saved This Man’s Neighborhood The EPA wants to roll back a safety rule that would make the chemical industry more accountable for public health. Chemical disaster survivor Jesse Marquez explains why that’s a terrible idea. Jesse Marquez was 17 when a massive explosion at an oil refinery set his neighborhood aflame. Now he's asking the EPA to take action to prevent similar incidents. Chris Jordan-Bloch / Earthjustice Update, 08/17/2018: A court ruled in our favor today that the Environmental Protection Agency's delay of implementation of the Chemical Disaster Rule was unlawful. Thanks to…
Orcas Are Dying, But There Is a Way to Save ThemOrcas Are Dying, But There Is a Way to Save Them An orca calf’s death has brought renewed attention to the perilous situation for the whale species living in Washington state’s Puget Sound. The Puget Sound orcas live in three pods named J, K, and L. Members of L pod, Admiralty Inlet, Oct. 10, 2009. Tatiana Ivkovich / Shutterstock Orcas in the Salish Sea, which spans Puget Sound and the waters around the islands and shores of Washington state and British Columbia, Canada, are struggling for their lives. Over the past few decades, their numbers have shrunk to a perilous…
Local Activists Put a Cork in Dangerous Gas Storage Proposal in New York’s Wine CountryLocal Activists Put a Cork in Dangerous Gas Storage Proposal in New York’s Wine Country After a wave of public opposition, New York State regulators have denied a proposal for a gas storage facility in the Finger Lakes region. A protest against the proposed gas storage facility in Watkins Glen, NY, on July 14, 2014. Courtesy of Yvonne Taylor “Do you still have that bottle of champagne? Well, get ready to put it on ice!” After almost a decade of fighting a dangerous proposal to fill two underground salt caverns with explosive liquid petroleum gas (propane and butane) in upstate…
Trump Stifles Science in Coal CountryTrump Stifles Science in Coal Country The Trump administration doesn’t want us to know what’s making coal country sick. Central to Appalachian identity and heritage, West Virginia's mountains are being destroyed by mountaintop removal coal mining. Photo Courtesy of OVEC President Trump loves to talk about the fictitious “War on Coal,” depicting the mining industry as a victim of environmental regulations. But what the administration is not acknowledging is the adverse impacts that coal has had, and continues to have, on the people living where it is mined, coal’s War on Communities. The National Academy of Sciences was looking into…
The Fight to Stop a Giant Coal Plant From Poisoning ‘The Lungs of South Asia’The Fight to Stop a Giant Coal Plant From Poisoning ‘The Lungs of South Asia’ Sultana Kamal leads a coalition of environmental groups fighting to keep the governments of Bangladesh and India from building a giant coalfired power plant next to a vast wild estuary called the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans mangrove forest as seen from outer space. ESA / lavizzara Sultana Kamal leads a coalition of environmental groups fighting to keep the governments of Bangladesh and India from building a giant coalfired power plant next to a vast wild estuary called the Sundarbans. The plant would spew mercury and smog-causing…
Gran triunfo para la niñez. EPA finalmente propone fortalecer los criterios de plomoGran triunfo para la niñez. EPA finalmente propone fortalecer los criterios de plomo El fortalecimiento de los criterios de plomo impulsado por Earthjustice, protegerán a miles de niños en todo el país. El trabajo científico de Bruce Lanphear mostró el peligro de exponerse a bajos niveles de plomo. Su trabajo con Earthjustice ayudó a garantizar hogares más seguros para nuestros hijos. TAEHOON KIM FOR EARTHJUSTICE Tras casi dos décadas de retraso, la Agencia de Protección Ambiental (EPA, por sus siglas en inglés) anunció recientemente planes para reducir la cantidad de plomo permitida en el polvo doméstico, una de las fuentes…
Montanans Fight to Keep a Mining Executive from Polluting AgainMontanans Fight to Keep a Mining Executive from Polluting Again Tired of dealing with mining messes, state regulators are heeding citizen calls to crack down on serial polluters. Lifelong Montana resident Tim Flynn encourages his neighbors to rethink the assumption that Montanans must mine at any cost. He supports a state law that holds mining executives accountable for cleaning up their pollution. Eric Ian for Earthjustice Montana fishing guide Tim Flynn is a man determined to rally folks around a straightforward principle: Mining companies shouldn’t pollute communities and public lands and then force the public to pay for the cleanup.…
Standing up for the Dugong, in Costumes and in CourtStanding up for the Dugong, in Costumes and in Court Earthjustice has asked the court to halt construction of a U.S. military base until the Department of Defense complies with laws dealing with preservation. A dugong digs in seagrass for food. Earthjustice is fighting to protect the endangered Okinawan dugong. Andrea Izzotti / Getty Images Earthjustice and other environmental groups rallied on June 28 at a federal court in San Francisco against a U.S. military base planned for Okinawa, Japan. The base threatens the existence of the critically endangered Henoko Bay dugong, a marine mammal also known as the “sea cow.”…
In a Big Win for Kids, EPA Finally Proposes to Strengthen Lead StandardsIn a Big Win for Kids, EPA Finally Proposes to Strengthen Lead Standards Stronger lead standards, prompted by Earthjustice litigation, will better protect thousands of children nationwide. Bruce Lanphear’s scientific work showed the dangers of low-level lead exposure. His work with Earthjustice helped ensure safer homes for our children. Taehoon Kim for Earthjustice After almost two decades of dragging its heels, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced plans to reduce the amount of lead allowed in household dust, one of the most common sources of lead poisoning in children in the U.S. The EPA’s decision was prompted by an…
We’re Suing to Save a World-Famous Canoeing Wilderness From Mining PollutionWe’re Suing to Save a World-Famous Canoeing Wilderness From Mining Pollution There are 1,100 clear, peaceful lakes in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters wilderness. The Trump administration wants to add a sulfide mine or two. Sulfide mining poses a severe threat to the 1,100 lakes in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Dan Thornberg / Shutterstock Voyage two or three lakes deep into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and you might not see another human being for a day at a time. Boats with motors are banned in the chain of 1,100 lakes that stretches along Minnesota’s border with Canada, and…
