Tag: Public Health

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.…

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…

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…

Madison-Kipp Corp. Public Health Madison Dane County Toxic Chemicals

What is Kipp doing to protect its workers from vapor intrusion? They won’t say.

September 29, 2016 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Photo: Workers in Madison-Kipp factory. … Kipp says they stopped using the highly toxic solvent tetrachloroethylene, also called perchloroethylene or PCE—the toxic chemical that was the main focus of the…

Goodman Community Center

PHMDC Assures Public Goodman Splash Pad is Perfectly Safe Using Incorrect Numbers

August 30, 2014 Maria C. Powell, PhD

(After this story was posted, PHMDC corrected their numbers in the document linked to below) On August 26 the Wisconsin DNR released a public update including an “Evaluation of the…

Madison Water Utility Smart Meters

Smart Meter Opt Out Victory!

October 24, 2012 Jim Powell

Smart Meters: A Risk to Public Health and the Environment On October 24, 2012, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission approved a smart meter opt out for Madison Water Utility customers,…

Fish Advisory Toxins

MEJO in the News

September 13, 2012 Jim Powell

MEJO in “Environmental Health News” Pollution, Poverty, People of Color: Warnings about contaminated fish fail to reach people most at risk By Rae Tyson Environmental Health News September 13, 2012…

Fish Advisory Toxins

A better approach?

June 11, 2012 Jim Powell

GONE FISHING! Instead of continuing to beg our environmental & public health agencies to monitor toxins in water and fish, which we’ve learned is a futile endeavor, we’ve decided to…

Air Pollution Public Participation Toxins

Greenwashing and Doublespeak in Wisconsin Highway Plan

December 17, 2011 Jim Powell

The price tag for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation two-decade, three-phase plan for the reconstruction of the Verona Road and West Beltline interchange in Madison , Wis. , has risen…

Fish Advisory Public Participation Toxins

“Invisible People, Invisible Risks”

October 11, 2011 Jim Powell

In the new MIT Press book, Technoscience and Environmental Justice: Expert Cultures in a Grassroots Movement, the Midwest Environmental Justice Organization (MEJO) chronicles its Madison effort to raise local awareness…

Air Pollution Fish Advisory Toxins

Madison Rhythm & Booms Fireworks – Impact on the Environment

June 8, 2010 Jim Powell

MEJO Fireworks Report – June 2010

Air Pollution Toxins

Bad Air in Dane County, Wis.: Where’s the Communication?

February 6, 2010 Jim Powell

From February 2-5, Dane County , along with several other counties in Wisconsin , was under an “Air Quality Advisory for Particle Pollution” due to elevated levels of small particulates…

Fish Advisory Public Participation Toxins

Fish Advisory Signs Victory!

November 18, 2008 Jim Powell

In recognition of the human health concerns of eating locally caught fish, the City of Madison and Dane County has authorized the Public Health Department to place fish consumption advisory…

Fish Advisory Public Participation Toxins Water Pollution

Fish advisory signs installed to highlight need for official action Environmental justice activists and anglers place signs around Monona Bay

September 20, 2008 Jim Powell

(MADISON, Wis.)—Sixty people gathered at Brittingham Park on Thurs., Sept. 20 to make and install fish consumption advisory signs to help shoreline anglers learn about the toxins in fish caught…