Brooke Christy
Tips for Navigating an Election Year as a ...

Navigating electoral advocacy as a 501(c)(3) is not always easy but we have some great tips for those that are interested.

Tips for Navigating an Election Year as a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Meagan Niebler
Environmental Justice Advisory Boards - A ...

An Environmental Justice Advisory Board (EJAB) is a group that advises government agencies on issues related to environmental justice, ensuring that policies and actions address the needs and concerns of marginalized communities disproportionately affected by environmental harms. These boards play a crucial role in promoting fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race or income, in environmental decision-making processes. The importance of EJABs lies in their ability to bridge the gap between communities and policymakers, advocating for equitable solutions to environmental challenges. The goal of this document is to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different EJAB bylaws to provide informed recommendations for communities to advocate for strong Board structures that have the power to move their vision and needs forward.

Environmental Justice Advisory Boards - A Scorecard for States
Guest User
Update on the East Palestine Train Derailment
Update on the East Palestine Train Derailment
Brooke Christy
The landscape of environmental activism ...

We hope this blog can help shed some light on what Chevron was, why it was created, and how environmental advocates may be able to fill the gaps left in its place.  

The landscape of environmental activism post-Chevron
Meagan Niebler
Fair Shake's Earth Day Highlights
Fair Shake's Earth Day Highlights

environmental law

FAIR SHAKE BRINGS ON NEW LAWYER TO EXPAND SERVICES FOR COMMUNITIES WITH LEAD EXPOSURE

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services has provided assistance to communities experiencing lead exposure for over seven years. While the mission of Fair Shake is to foster equal access to environmental justice in the Appalachian Region, the variation of laws governing lead between state and local jurisdictions have been a barrier to the expansion of services for lead exposure. That is why Fair Shake is excited to announce that Brooke Christy, a recent Pitt Law graduate, has joined Fair Shake’s staff as an Equal Justice Works Fellow dedicated to specializing in lead exposure. Brooke will be responsible for a wide variety of tasks, including direct representation of tenants with lead exposure, collaborating with community organizations to better support their existing efforts, and promoting increased capacity of pro-bono lead litigation.  

This fellowship was intentionally designed to have broad programming opportunities because we understand that the needs of our community partners vary significantly across regions. Brooke will be leaning on her ten years of community organizing experience and legal education to bring attorneys and organizers closer together in the fight to prevent lead poisoning. She also looks forward to building upon relationships that Fair Shake has established in Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania to identify how we can best serve local communities and build sustainable programming for us to continue this work for years to come.  

We recognize that while the rates of lead poisoning have significantly dropped in recent decades, the eradication of lead poisoning will require creative approaches on how to best serve our most vulnerable communities. Lead exposure continues to have disproportionate impacts on historically marginalized communities, including communities of color and residents with low-income. Tenants and their families are also uniquely vulnerable to lead exposure due to barriers to access preventative and remediation resources. Compounding this, the aging infrastructure of the Appalachian Basin puts local communities at higher risk than the national average. 

Since joining Fair Shake at the end of September, Brooke has started reaching out to community partners to discuss potential collaborations. Such collaboration can include helping draft model municipal ordinances, assisting with community education programing, creating “Know Your Rights” guides tailored to localities, providing technical support for organizations receiving federal funds for lead remediation, and accepting referrals for tenants seeking legal counsel.  

If you or an organization that you work with are interested in similar services, please reach out to Brooke at bchristy@fairshake-els.org or (267) 817-5917. 

We also plan to be in attendance at several Lead Poisoning Prevention Week events, including Cleveland Lead Advocates for Safe Housing (CLASH) resource fair at East Cleveland Public Library on October 28. We hope you will join us in celebrating Lead Poisoning Prevention Week by finding an event near you or clicking here to learn more about lead.  

Finally, we would like to give a special thanks to Fenwick & West LLP for sponsoring this fellowship.  

 

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Local hero stands up for his environment

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Local hero stands up for his environment

Tom Smith has lived by the Mahoning River his entire life, but it wasn’t until 2011, when his good friend invited him on a kayaking trip, that he had ever considered getting near the river a recreational activity. Today he is a member of the Freshwater Accountability Project (FWAP), our client, and the key standing witness in their successful case involving oil and gas waste polluting one section of the river he has never paddled.

Stay in touch!

 
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