Author: Jim Powell

Cancer Endocrine disruptors Environmental health Environmental Justice Plastics University of Wisconsin-Madison

Wisconsin Environmental Health Network Conference 2025

February 19, 2025 Jim Powell

Some of you know that Maria was very artistic and one of her passions was using her childhood Barbie in various ways to communicate her (Maria’s) concern about plastic and…

Arrogance Burn pits Cancer City of Madison Dane County Denialism Doublespeak Environmental Justice Fish Fish Advisory Hypocrisy Inequality Madison Madison-Kipp Corp. Mercury Oscar Mayer Privilege Public Participation Racial disparities Racial Justice Risk Assessment Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Truax Wastewater Treatment Water Pollution

Resistance Radio to feature “Poisoning Paradise: An Environmental History of Madison”

September 9, 2024 Jim Powell

Maria Powell’s book, “Poisoning Paradise: An Environmental History of Madison,” is the topic of an upcoming Resistance Radio interview with Derrick Jensen on Sunday, September 15 at 5 pm CDT.…

Cancer Denialism Environmental Justice EPA F-35 Fighter jets Fire fighting Fish Fish Advisory Hypocrisy Illicit discharge Madison Pesticides Plastics Privilege Public Participation Racial disparities Racial Justice Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project Truax landfill University of Wisconsin-Madison

MARIA POWELL: A CELEBRATION OF HER LIFE – JULY 20, 2024

July 16, 2024 Jim Powell

Friends – please consider attending as I would love to see you there, and feel free to spread the word to others who knew Maria. MARIA POWELL: A CELEBRATION OF…

Air Pollution Arrogance Cancer City of Madison Community engagement Dane County Denialism Development Doublespeak Ecology Environmental destruction Environmental health Environmental Justice F-35 Fighter jets Fish Advisory Futility Hypocrisy Madison Martin Luther King Jr. Obfuscation Peace?? Privilege Public Participation Public Relations Racial disparities Racial Justice Racism

Reflections on Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 15, 2024 Jim Powell

MEJO founder Dr. Maria C. Powell wrote three essays on Dr. King and his views on the “giant triplets of racism, materialism, and militarism,” each posted on previous MLK Jr…

Air National Guard Air Pollution Arrogance Cancer Dane County Parks Deception Denialism Doublespeak Ecology Environmental health Environmental Justice F-35 Fish Hypocrisy Illicit discharge Inequality Landfills Madison Madison-Kipp Corp. Mercury PCBs PCE Pesticides PFAS Poisoned Yahara Lakes PFCs or PFAS Privilege Racial disparities Racial Justice Racism Starkweather Creek Stupidity Toxic Chemicals Toxins Trash Trees Truax Water Pollution Water quality

“Maria Powell wasn’t just an activist. In Madison, she was the premier environmental activist.”

November 18, 2023 Jim Powell

From the Cap Times: Madison just lost one of its best environmental assets By Steve Elbow, Opinion Editor Maria Powell wasn’t just an activist. In Madison, she was the premier…

City of Madison Environmental Justice Madison-Kipp Corp. PFCs or PFAS Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Toxins Truax Water Pollution

MEJO founder Dr. Maria C. Powell has passed away

November 14, 2023 Jim Powell

It is with great sadness that we announce that our founder, Maria Powell, has passed away. She will be missed greatly. OBITUARY | MARIA POWELL, 59 Maria Powell, longtime activist…

Environmental health Environmental Justice Fish Fish Advisory Illicit discharge Madison-Kipp Corp. Mercury PCBs Pesticides PFAS Poisoned Yahara Lakes PFCs or PFAS Public Participation Racial disparities Soil contamination Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project TCE Toxic Chemicals Toxins Vapor intrusion Water Pollution

MEJO founder Dr. Maria Powell wins Bill Iwen Environmental Justice Award

October 28, 2023 Jim Powell

On October 26, the Midwest Environmental Advocates held a ceremony naming MEJO founder Maria Powell as one of its 2023 Bill Iwen Environmental Justice Awardees. MEJO Vice President Touyeng Xiong…

Environmental Justice Madison-Kipp Corp. PFCs or PFAS Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Toxins Truax Water Pollution

MEJO Executive Director Dr. Maria Powell is receiving an environmental justice award

October 17, 2023 Jim Powell

MEJO Executive Director Dr. Maria Powell is receiving an environmental justice award from the Midwest Environmental Advocates MARIA POWELL Maria Powell is a co-founder of Madison Environmental Justice Organization (MEJO),…

City of Madison Environmental destruction Madison Oscar Mayer PCBs Pesticides Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Toxins Wastewater Treatment Water Pollution Water quality Wetlands Wisconsin DNR

Oscar Mayer Sludge History, Part II

May 15, 2021 Jim Powell

The latest installment of Maria’s Powell’s saga of a corporation and the city that loved it…to its own detriment. OSCAR MAYER SLUDGE HISTORY, PART II <– NEW OSCAR MAYER’S INSECTICIDE…

City of Madison Hartmeyer natural area Madison Water Utility Oscar Mayer Pesticides PFCs or PFAS Plastics Soil contamination Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Toxins Water Pollution Water quality

What does 2021 hold for Oscar Mayer?

January 31, 2021 Jim Powell

As PFAS pollution in Madison is detected in more and more places, and as the government regulating the pollution (WDNR) and the government entities responsible for much of that pollution…

City of Madison Environmental health Environmental Justice Ho-Chunk Madison Water Utility Oscar Mayer Public Participation Racial disparities Racism Toxic Chemicals Toxins Vapor intrusion Water Pollution Water quality

Madison’s long history of racist planning and development

October 11, 2020 Jim Powell

Madison newspaper The Cap Times published this column on October 8. Column Madison’s long history of racist planning and development By Maria Powell | executive director, Midwest Environmental Justice Organization…

Air National Guard Air Pollution Ecology Environmental health Environmental Justice Fish PFCs or PFAS Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project Toxic Chemicals Toxins Truax Virus Water Pollution Water quality Wetlands

Starkweather Creek PFAS sediment testing in the news

April 24, 2020 Jim Powell

Photo (Maria Powell): Bridges Golf Course ditch flowing into Starkweather Creek, where the highest levels of PFOS were found Nice coverage by a Madison newspaper of our Starkweather Creek sediment…

City of Madison Community engagement Dane County Earth Day Environmental health Environmental Justice Fish PFCs or PFAS Racial disparities Racism Risk Assessment Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Water Pollution Water quality Wisconsin DNR

MEJO and East Madison Community Center teens find significantly elevated PFAS levels in Starkweather Creek sediments

April 21, 2020 Jim Powell

Earth Day 2020: Fifty years after first Earth Day, toxic environmental pollution still pervasive (Madison, Wis.)–New PFAS results, released before the COVID 19 lockdown, show significantly elevated levels of PFOS…

City of Madison City of Madison Parks Department Community engagement Environmental Justice Fish Fish Advisory PFCs or PFAS Public Health Madison Dane County Public Participation Starkweather Creek stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Toxins Truax Water Pollution Water quality Wisconsin DHS Wisconsin DNR

PFAS Task Force RIP

December 21, 2019 Jim Powell

As we’ve experienced for twenty years in Madison, local government prefers to keep the public out of actions it takes–or does not take–regarding locally-occurring toxic pollution problems. The proposed Madison-Dane…

Air National Guard City of Madison City of Madison Parks Department Dane County Regional Airport Environmental Justice Fish Fish Advisory Madison Gas & Electric PFCs or PFAS Public Health Madison Dane County Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Toxins Truax Water Pollution Water quality Wisconsin DHS Wisconsin DNR

PFAS levels in creek are more than “concerning”

December 21, 2019 Jim Powell

The PFOS amount in foam found in Starkweather Creek was 92,000 parts per trillion, far exceeding the laughable EPA advisory threshold level of 70 ppt. The mayor should be more…