VOC Archives - Madison Environmental Justice

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 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…

Air National Guard Cancer City of Madison Ecology Environmental health Environmental Justice Fish Fish Advisory Military PFCs or PFAS Racial disparities Racial Justice Racism Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution

Oops! We poisoned the “Giants Among Us”–the Yahara lakes

January 22, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

MEJO’s Jim Powell and Touyeng Xiong teach kids how to put bait on fish hooks at the Olbrich Park fishing pier on Lake Monona, summer 2018. Sadly, they couldn’t eat…

Air National Guard City of Madison Environmental Justice F-35 Fighter jets Fish Inequality Military Poverty Privilege Racial disparities Racism Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Truax

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s forgotten “giant triplets” alive & well in Madison, Wisconsin

January 18, 2021 Maria C. Powell, PhD

From Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1967 speech, “Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence”: “I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the…

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…

Air National Guard Department of Defense Environmental health Environmental Justice F-35 Fighter jets Military Pentagon PFCs or PFAS Racial disparities Racism Risk Assessment Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Truax Trump Water Pollution

Faith Leaders Oppose F-35 Fighter Jets

August 3, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

A full-page ad appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal on July 29, 2020 – speaking against the F-35 fighter jets for reasons of social and environmental justice, and world peace.…

Air Pollution Cancer City of Madison Climate Change Community engagement coronavirus Environmental health Environmental Justice Privilege Racial disparities Racism Toxic Chemicals

Police brutality and environmental injustices are connected

June 11, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

(Image from The Nation) MEJO condemns the brutal killing of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer–and commends Black Lives Matter, other racial justice activists, and all…

Air National Guard Air Pollution Cancer City of Madison coronavirus Environmental health F-35 Fighter jets PFCs or PFAS Racial disparities Starkweather Creek Toxic Chemicals Truax

Decision to base F-35s in Madison ignores public health concerns

May 1, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

By Bruce Barrett and Paula Rogge, Cap Times Today we are dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. Our federal, state and local government officials have been working hard to contain the…

City of Madison Environmental Justice prions Public Health Madison Dane County stormwater runoff Tennyson Toxic Chemicals Toxins Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR

Low-income housing built on “environmental nightmare,” infectious agents

March 21, 2020 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Was the site cleaned up before development? No. ****************** In the last three years, low income apartments, an assisted living facility, and several Habitat for Humanity homes have been constructed…

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…

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 Cancer City of Madison Dane County Environmental Justice Fish Advisory Madison Water Utility PFCs or PFAS Public Health Madison Dane County Risk Assessment Starkweather Creek stormwater runoff Toxic Chemicals Truax Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR

Madison residents increasingly alarmed by PFAS levels in local waterways

December 11, 2019 Maria C. Powell, PhD

Photo: Starkweather Creek in the Darbo-Worthington neighborhood (Maria Powell). By Steve Elbow, Cap Times Lance Green has been collecting water samples from Starkweather Creek for years. As a volunteer for…

Dane County Regional Airport Environmental Justice Fish Fish Advisory Madison Water Utility PFCs or PFAS Starkweather Creek Starkweather EJ Project Toxic Chemicals Toxins Truax Water Pollution Wisconsin DNR

Northside News: Northside advocates address PFAS well and waterways dangers

November 29, 2019 Jim Powell

The December/January issue of the Northside News has a front page article on MEJO’s work… Northside advocates address PFAS well and waterways dangers By Cora Wiese Moore Northside News Growing…

MEJO founder Dr. Maria C. Powell has passed away