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EartherNewark Residents Win Drinking Water Protections in New Settlement
Newark, New Jersey has reached a settlement with environmental justice advocates who sued the city over its pipes leaching lead into residents’ water supply. On Tuesday morning, the city of Newark signed off on the proposed agreement, as did the two advocacy groups—Newark Education Workers Caucus and the Natural Resources Defense Council—who brought the citizen … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherEnvironmental JusticeReport: Former Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder Will Finally Be Charged for Poisoning Flint’s Water
Y’all. Former Michigan governor and certified monster Rick Snyder will catch charges for his role in the Flint water crisis, according to the Associated Press. You absolutely love to see it. Snyder is the former Republican governor of Michigan who had a massive role in the public health disaster, in which Flint’s nearly 100,000 residents … Continued
By Dharna Noor -
EartherEnvironmental JusticeMichigan Will Pay $600 Million to Flint Water Crisis Survivors
The people of Flint are finally getting some justice. The state of Michigan is dishing out $600 million in settlement dollars for victims of the water crisis that exposed the city of nearly 100,000 to unhealthy levels of lead in their drinking water. First reported in the New York Times and confirmed by the legal … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeNewark Needs a Massive Lead Pipe Replacement, and Advocates Don’t Believe Officials Can Handle It
Monday, on the night of the MTV Video Music Awards, some 150 people arrived at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, to protest. Police officers—on horses and in helicopters—were prepared to block activists, but nothing would stop Newark Water Coalition co-founder and organizer Anthony Diaz from spreading his message. The city where he grew … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeWhy Did Michigan Just Drop All Charges in the Flint Water Crisis?
The people of Flint, Michigan, deserve justice. More than five years ago, the city switched its water source and exposed nearly 100,000 residents to lead-tainted drinking water. Yet the state has failed to hold anyone accountable for this event, and now the Department of Attorney General is dropping all charges related to the investigation—including an … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticePresidential Candidate Julian Castro Releases Plan to Eliminate Lead Poisoning in America
Many presidential candidates have released climate change plans, but what about plans to address environmental health hazards like lead? Democratic candidate Julián Castro released a formal lead elimination plan Monday—making him the first White House hopeful to do so—and while the candidate is currently polling at less than one percentage point, that could really put … Continued
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Tech NewsAuthorities Seize Phones and Computers of Michigan Officials in Flint Water Crisis Investigation
Michigan authorities have seized the state-owned phone of former Governor Rick Snyder that was, until recently, in government storage, according to the Associated Press. The phones of 65 current and former officials were also seized as the state investigates the Flint water crisis. Snyder and other top officials are at the center of an inquiry … Continued
By Matt Novak -
Tech NewsAvengers: Endgame, Dark Matter, and a Fake Bear Not Named Ron: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week
It’s nearly May, and you know what that means: Game of Thrones will be ending, Divination Bot will soon return to haunt your sleep with machine-generated nightmares, and the weather will be much less depressing. But before you brush off April 2019 like all the other months you’ve left behind in your rush to the … Continued
By Tom McKay -
EartherEnvironmental Justice
Five Years After the Lead Crisis Began, Flint Residents Still Can’t Trust Their Tap Water
Five years. That’s how much time has passed since the City of Flint switched its water source, exposing nearly 100,000 people to lead-tainted water. That crisis continues today and has traumatized the city in a way that will take more than another five years to fix. The legacy will likely last for generations. That being … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeMichigan’s New Governor Issues Orders to Bring Justice to Flint
Rhonda Anderson has spent the last eight years feeling hopeless about environmental issues. As the regional organizer for the Sierra Club’s Detroit regional office, the environmental justice leader had little reason to feel otherwise—not under former Republican Governor Rick Snyder whose greatest legacy might be the Flint water crisis that exposed an entire city to … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental Justice
Top Michigan Health Official on Trial for Flint Water Crisis Upgraded to Fancy New Job
The case of water contamination in Flint, Michigan, is a textbook example of government failure. So much so that the state’s attorney general office launched a criminal investigation against 15 state and local officials in 2016. The trials began this summer, but the charges—including involuntary manslaughter—apparently aren’t enough for the Michigan Department of Health and … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental Justice
How Flint’s Water Crisis Almost Turned Into a Plastic Bottle Disaster
If the water pouring out your sink is full of lead, you might reasonably turn to bottled water. That’s exactly what happened in Flint, Michigan, after the city switched its drinking water source and lead began leaching into everyone’s taps. In the first three weeks after the state declared the situation an emergency in January … Continued
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ScienceHealth
Elon Musk Donates Over $480,000 to Help Flint Schools Clean Tainted Water
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was lambasted on Twitter at the end of last week for mocking the Securities and Exchange Commission. But in the midst of the kerfuffle, one organization took to Twitter to thank him—Michigan’s Flint School District. In July, Musk made a commitment on Twitter to “fund fixing the water in … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental Justice
A New Doll Celebrates Flint’s Biggest Little Activist
As a young girl I was obsessed with dolls. They’re all I wanted for birthdays and Christmases. These days, though, dolls have hit a whole new level. And oh, how I wish I could still enjoy endless hours playing with them, because a new doll is available for pre-order today—and she’s inspired by 11-year-old Mari … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental Justice
Dangerous Chemicals Found in Flint River Water Before the Lead Crisis Started [Updated]
More than four years since the water crisis began in Flint, Michigan, new information continues to trickle out. That the city’s water was heavily contaminated with lead is no secret now. Hell, even deadly pneumonia-causing bacteria aren’t a secret. Dangerous fluorinated substances, though, are something that’s slipped under the radar—until now. The state’s Department of … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental Justice
Haunting Photos Take Us Back to the Beginning of the Flint Water Crisis
Photographer Matthew Brandt traveled to Flint, Michigan, from Los Angeles back in 2016. The 35-year-old was there to take photos of the city for his own interest—and integrate Flint’s lead-contaminated water into his images, quite literally. He used that water to develop his film. Now, more than two years later, his work is getting a … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental Justice
Why It’s Hard for Flint Residents to Trust That School Water Is Lead-Free
It’s been more than four years since the water crisis struck Flint, Michigan, and residents are still reeling, particularly parents worried about the impact of lead on young children’s development. In a seeming bit of good news, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality announced Monday that the school district’s water is finally just as safe—or … Continued
