PCE Archives - Madison Environmental Justice

City of Madison Community engagement Environmental health Environmental Justice Fish Madison Gas & Electric Oscar Mayer PFCs or PFAS Racial disparities Risk Assessment Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Wastewater Treatment Water quality

Utility to build over toxic sludge at former sewage plant on Madison’s Northside

November 13, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Above: Burke sewage plant “trickling filters” built around 1916. Photo from Wisconsin Historical Society ******* One of Madison’s long-standing corporate powerhouses, Madison Gas & Electric (MGE), plans to build a…

City of Madison Environmental health Environmental Justice F-35 Fighter jets Ho-Chunk Oscar Mayer Privilege Racial disparities Racism Toxic Chemicals Truax

Development disparities: Madison’s classist, racist beginnings are alive and well in 2020

September 10, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Photo: Oscar Mayer in 1947 (Wisconsin State Journal archives) ********** Flying in the face of its stated commitment to racial equity and social justice, Madison is as racist and classist…

Air National Guard City of Madison Dane County Dane County Regional Airport Environmental Justice EPA F-35 Fighter jets Fish PFCs or PFAS Public Participation Risk Assessment Soil contamination Starkweather Creek stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Trump Water Pollution Water quality Wisconsin DNR

Superfund will not protect our waterways — or us — from the military’s toxic pollution

March 11, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Maria Powell, Cap Times op-ed Photo above: Starkweather Creek going through Truax Field The final environmental impact statement (EIS) on basing F-35 fighter jets at Madison’s Truax Field states that…

Air National Guard City of Madison Dane County Department of Defense Environmental Justice EPA F-35 Fighter jets PFCs or PFAS Risk Assessment Starkweather Creek stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR

The Final F-35 EIS is a total sham

February 23, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

The public comment process for the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for basing F-35s at Madison’s Truax Air National Guard base was not only token—it was a total sham. According…

Cancer City of Madison Community engagement Environmental Justice Madison Water Utility PFCs or PFAS Public Participation Toxic Chemicals

Water Utility dismisses public concerns, puts public relations over public health

January 21, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

On January 9, 2020, the Isthmus published a cover story on PFAS: “The fight for safe drinking water; Will Madison officials pay attention to the science on PFAS?” I commend…

Air National Guard City of Madison Dane County Environmental Justice PCBs PFCs or PFAS Starkweather Creek stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution Water quality

PFAS found in groundwater under former sewage treatment plant

May 13, 2019 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Large ditch drains from former sewage plant through Bridges Golf Course and then directly into Starkweather Creek (see above photo) MEJO’s Earth Day Starkweather Creek report highlights gaps in tracking…

Air National Guard City of Madison Dane County Environmental Justice PCBs Public Health Madison Dane County Public Participation Racism Risk Assessment Soil contamination Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution Water quality Wisconsin DNR

Report: Watchdogs not looking hard enough for public health hazards in lakes, fish

April 30, 2019 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Touyeng Xiong, MEJO Vice President, at Starkweather Creek tributary in April 2019 (Photo by John Hart, WSJ) By Steve Verburg, Wisconsin State Journal Madison and Dane County are neglecting to…

Air National Guard Department of Defense Environmental Justice EPA F-35 Fighter jets PCBs Pentagon PFCs or PFAS Public Participation Racism Risk Assessment Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution

Truax ANG to weaponize base ahead of F-35 deployment

April 24, 2019 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Public engagement tokenized, environmental justice ignored According to an April 2019 Draft Environmental Assessment (EA), Truax Air National Guard is planning major demolition, construction, and renovation projects from 2020-2027 at…

Air National Guard City of Madison Community engagement EPA Madison Water Utility PFCs or PFAS Public Health Madison Dane County Public Participation Risk Assessment Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR

Madison officials lead PR public meeting about PFAS in drinking water: Nothing to worry about!

March 17, 2019 Maria C. Powell, PhD

On Saturday, March 16, at the East Madison Community Center, Madison Water Utility (WU) and Public Health Madison Dane County (PHMDC) staff gave presentations about the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances…

Madison-Kipp Corp.

Anne G. Chacon, 1942-2018

December 2, 2018 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Dissident, Fearless Environmental Activist, Great Friend Anne Chacon, long-time resident of 138 S. Marquette St, passed away in her Monona apartment the weekend before Thanksgiving, after struggling with liver disease…

City of Madison Environmental Justice Madison-Kipp Corp. PCBs stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Wisconsin DNR

The Kipp raingarden PCB saga is not over

June 14, 2018 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Photo: Kipp PCB raingarden, June 5, 2018 Are the Kipp raingarden PCB investigations and excavations finally over, six years after PCBs were first found there? Is the adjacent bikepath area…

Air National Guard Environmental Justice EPA PFCs or PFAS Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR

Truax Field PFC (PFAS) Contamination 569 Times Over EPA Health Advisory Level; Madison Drinking Water Contaminated?

May 16, 2018 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Last week the Wisconsin DNR released documents pertaining to perfluorinated compounds (PFCs)—also commonly called poly- or per-fluoroalkyl substances or PFAS—at Truax Field’s Wisconsin Air National Guard (WANG) base. One of…

Cancer Madison-Kipp Corp. PCBs Public Health Madison Dane County Toxic Chemicals Vapor intrusion

Sharon Helmus, your courageous Kipp resistance will be remembered!

April 10, 2018 Maria C. Powell, PhD

One month ago, on March 10, 2018 Sharon Helmus died from complications after colon cancer surgery. She was 78. My husband and I visited Sharon three times in the hospital—our…

Madison-Kipp Corp. Toxic Chemicals Vapor intrusion

Kipp’s Carcinogenic Chemicals Still Vaporizing into Surrounding Neighborhood

March 16, 2018 Maria C. Powell, PhD

The class action lawsuit against Madison Kipp Corporation, settled in 2013, seems like eons ago. Have Kipp’s pollution problems been resolved? Far from it. PCBs remain in soils under the…

Madison-Kipp Corp. PCBs Wisconsin DNR Wisconsin DOJ

Polluter Pleased with Paltry Penalty

November 29, 2017 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Photo: Past excavations of PCBs along bike path next to Madison-Kipp Corporation The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) finally settled the civil action against Madison-Kipp Corporation it initiated in September,…