Environmentalist and famed whistleblower Erin Brockovich took the stage at a high school auditorium in East Palestine, Ohio on Friday night. Brockovich, who gained national acclaim and an Oscar-nominated biopic for exposing Pacific Gas & Electric Company’s contamination of the groundwater in Hinkley, California, ran through a series of slides outlining legal strategies as residents seek recourse in the wake of Norfolk Southern’s catastrophic train derailment. “I feel your angst, I feel your frustration. You are not alone. Every community I’ve gone to has been given the runaround. You’ll be told that it’s fine, that you’re safe, but it’s not fine,” Brockovich said, as she urged residents to “band together and protect each other.” Brockovich’s presentation was well-attended, with appearances from former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar and the “Moms of Flint, [Michigan],” who began organizing after their water was found to contain dangerous levels of lead in 2014. “You’re in a situation that you’re going to be dealing with for the rest of your lives–if you stay here,” Brockovich said.
Read it at The Guardian
