Maria C. Powell, PhD, Author at Madison Environmental Justice

City of Madison Dane County Public Health Madison Dane County Starkweather Creek stormwater runoff Water Pollution Water quality Wisconsin DNR Yahara Lakes

Dane County has been violating its DNR stormwater permit for 17 years

April 13, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Above: Storm drains at Dane County Regional Airport, flowing through contaminated soils into Starkweather Creek. Are these city or county storm drains? Who is responsible to make sure toxic chemicals…

City of Madison Environmental health Oscar Mayer Pesticides PFCs or PFAS Starkweather Creek

Pesticides and PFAS should be tested at Oscar Mayer, Burke & Starkweather Creek

April 3, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Oscar Mayer in 1947 (Wisconsin State Journal photo) In May 2020, a Phase I Environmental Site Assessment (ESA) contracted by the City of Madison, while it was preparing to purchase…

Air National Guard Department of Defense Environmental Justice F-35 PFCs or PFAS Racial disparities Starkweather Creek Truax Wisconsin DNR

Addendum: Will Wisconsin Air National Guard follow DNR laws on PFAS investigations & cleanup?

March 30, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

A couple weeks ago, we posted this article asking whether the Wisconsin Air National Guard (WIANG) will follow DNR laws regarding investigation and cleanup of its highly contaminated base in…

City of Madison Environmental health Environmental Justice Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District Oscar Mayer PCBs PFCs or PFAS Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Wastewater Treatment Water Pollution Yahara Lakes

Oscar Mayer contamination must be fully investigated & remediated before redevelopment

March 21, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

For 100 years, Oscar Mayer & Co. and corporations that purchased it have polluted the land and groundwater beneath the site–as well as Starkweather Creek, Yahara River, and Lake Monona.…

Air National Guard Dane County Department of Defense Environmental health Environmental Justice F-35 PFCs or PFAS Racial Justice Toxic Chemicals Truax

Environmental group files new lawsuit over F-35 decision

March 11, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

By Catherine Capellaro, Wisconsin Examiner A group seeking to halt the siting of a squadron of F-35 fighter jets at Madison’s Truax Field filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the U.S.…

PFAS Poisoned Yahara Lakes

Mr. Parisi, will you test for PFAS in the Muck you Suck?

March 4, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

On March 10, Dane County Executive Joe Parisi and his staff will present at a Clean Lakes Alliance “101 Science Cafe” titled “Healthy Land, Healthy Lakes.” Sadly, our lands and…

Air National Guard City of Madison Environmental health Environmental Justice Fire fighting Madison Gas & Electric PFCs or PFAS Toxic Chemicals Water Pollution

PFAS from 2019 MGE fire continues to ooze, drain, and slosh into Lake Monona

March 1, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Firefighters spray PFAS-containing foam on exploded transformer at the Madison Gas & Electric Blount St. station in Madison, summer 2019 (Photo by Wisconsin State Journal) On July 19, 2019 an…

Environmental destruction

We all are witness to the rape of the world–Tracy Chapman

February 28, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

“The Rape Of The World” By Tracy Chapman Mother of us all Place of our birth How can we stand aside And watch the rape of the world This the…

Air National Guard Dane County Dane County Regional Airport Fish Starkweather Creek stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR

Dane County Airport’s WPDES permit is expired and doesn’t mention PFAS. Why?

February 24, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Over two and a half years ago, June 2018, we asked DNR to include PFAS monitoring in Dane County airport’s WPDES permit, which includes requirements for regular monitoring of Starkweather…

Endocrine disruptors Environmental health Fertility PCBs Toxic Chemicals

Male fertility has been plummeting for almost 100 years; Why are we pretending this is a “new” problem?

February 21, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Today’s New York Times column by Nicholas Kristof (pasted below for those who don’t have NYT subscriptions) raises alarms about declining sperm counts and fertility overall since the 70s, connected…

City of Madison City of Madison Parks Department Environmental health Pesticides Toxic Chemicals

Does anyone in Madison care about pesticide use? Whatever happened to ecology?

February 18, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Photo: City of Madison worker applying pesticides along curbs at the Warner Park Center parking lot A letter by Jim Powell to The Cap Times : In 2017, I wrote…

City of Madison Environmental health Environmental Justice Fish PFCs or PFAS Racial Justice Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Water Pollution

Starkweather fish rests after hard work soaking up PFAS

February 17, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Free time after work! (Photo by Maria Powell, Summer 2018) This fish worked very hard cleaning up the PFAS in the west branch of Starkweather Ditch as it flows through…

City of Madison Environmental health Environmental Justice Fish Fish Advisory PCBs Pesticides PFCs or PFAS Pharmaceuticals Plastics Racial disparities Racism stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR Yahara Lakes

Monona Bay, Downtown Madison’s Toxic Cesspool

February 15, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Fish art on Monona Bay created by Eric Anang. Photo by Amber Arnold, Wisconsin State Journal. Graphic additions by a MEJO collaborator. PFAS was found at significant levels in Monona…

Environmental health PFCs or PFAS Toxic Chemicals

Male fertility declining; toxic chemicals blamed

February 10, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Image from the Book of Man, The Penis Gallery “Male fertility declining; toxic chemicals blamed”–Wisconsin State Journal, 1979 Scientists knew over 40 years ago that toxic chemicals were damaging male…

Environmental health PCBs PFCs or PFAS Plastics Risk Assessment Toxic Chemicals

Toxic substances are everywhere, two UW profs say