Have you ever gone for a walk outside, heard the birds, and felt it clear your mind? Even lift your mood? There's a reason why people say they need to "get outside" – our surroundings have a profound impact on the way we think, feel, and cope with our situations. But what is the effect when those surroundings are polluted, neglected, or even unsafe? Our environment impacts more than just our physical health; it has a substantial impact on our mental health too.
Powered by Partnership: Celebrating Fair Shake's First Equal Justice Works Fellowship
Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services is excited to be celebrating the completion of our inaugural Equal Justice Works Fellow’s project. Brooke Christy joined our team with the goal of providing direct representation to tenants experiencing lead exposure while collaborating with community organizations dedicated to the prevention and remediation of lead exposure within the Appalachian Basin. Our team worked in collaboration with Brooke to develop this project after she completed an internship with our organization.
Changing the System for Environmental Justice: Fair Shake’s Role in Keeping Pittsburgh Water Public
How Can We Help You?
As environmental justice and law nonprofit, we are excited to support systems-change that strengthen environmental justice outcomes. This can include:
Building Connections
Legal “Translation” + Bridging Information
Researching, Strategizing, and Educating about Legal and Policy Levers
Drafting Generalized Legal and Policy Templates
Engaging Community and Amplifying Issues
We can provide any of this support to nonprofits, coalitions, residents, and municipalities at no-cost. Please reach out today and let’s get to work.
A Win for Ohio: Legislation Fights Back Against SLAPP Suits
Ohio has recently passed legislation that will protect activists against SLAPP suits - so what are these suits and why is this legislation so important?
SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. These are lawsuits aimed at silencing criticism and draining the resources of those who speak up against certain organizations.
WV Rivers Coalition vs. Chemours - An Explainer on the Motion for a Preliminary Injunction
For years, Dupont has been polluting waterways and soils with the forever chemical PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid or “C8”), a type of PFAS that is used in Teflon coatings. C8 is linked to numerous sicknesses, which have harmed or killed cattle, fish, wildlife, and humans. [1] In 2001, private citizens sued Dupont to hold it accountable for the damage it caused and continues to cause. As one of the responses to that lawsuit, Chemours started as a spinoff of Dupont’s chemical manufacturing arm and became independent in 2015.[2]
The now independent company has a manufacturing plant along the Ohio River in Washington, West Virginia.


