Sunday, September 06, 2015

Erin Brockovich joins the Navajo Nation against EPA

Erin Brockovich is joining Navajo Nation's political battle against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The famed environmental activist will visit Navajo Nation on Sept. 8 to view the affects of a devastating EPA mining leak and could potentially testify on Capitol Hill later this month.  Navajo leaders are prepping a massive lawsuit against EPA officials for their handling of an Aug. 5 mining accident in Colorado. The leak dumped 3 million gallons of contaminated water into Animas River and ultimately the San Juan River — one of the Navajo Nation's primary water sources.  "I am deeply concerned with the actions of the U.S. EPA and I stand by the Navajo Nation," Brockovich said in a statement. "The U.S. government needs to clean up the mess they caused." Brockovich gained national fame in 2000 as the source of inspiration for the blockbuster film "Erin Brockovich," starring Julia Roberts. The film chronicled her time as a legal clerk in the 1990s, when she helped investigate illness in a poor California town that was tied to groundwater pollutants.  It led to a $333 million settlement against Pacific Gas and Electric — at the time, the largest settlement ever in a direct action lawsuit...more

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