In H.B. 96, the Ohio General Assembly snuck anti-environment provisions into the bill at the last minute that removed important protections for Ohioans who want to file complaints against polluters while also invalidating community air monitoring data. These statutory changes have no relationship to Ohio’s budget and thus violate the Ohio Constitution’s requirement that all legislation include only one subject.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services in partnership with Clean Water Action, Women for a Healthy Environment and the Clean Air Council will be holding two free legal clinics to provide critical information and 1-on-1 time with an attorney for some 5600 residents who may unknowingly be involved in a class action lawsuit against U.S. Steel’s Clairton Coke Works.
Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services filed an appeal, on behalf of its clients Kelly’s Working Well Farm challenging their local government’s demand to cease operations due to zoning code violations.
On October 23, 2019 I arrived in downtown Pittsburgh. Just down the street, at the same moment, many of my clients were arriving too. I parked my car and walked into the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, a beautiful building with riverfront window that gives you a perfect view of the headwaters of the Ohio River, where my clients gathered.
Over the last two months select images from Fair Shake’s By Foot Project were on exhibition at the Huntingdon Arts Council in Huntingdon, PA.
Our “Employee Spotlight Series” will share with you who the people working behind the scenes to bring justice to our clients and their environments. This series will include interviews from both our Akron and Pittsburgh offices to give you an idea of who are and what we do.
The employee spotlight this week is Vanessa Goyes who is the summer social media intern at Fair Shake. She is from Long Island, New York. She is currently finishing her undergraduate degree at the University of Pittsburgh where she will receive a B.S and a B.A for dual majoring in environmental science and political science.
Our “Employee Spotlight Series” will share with you who the people working behind the scenes to bring justice to our clients and their environments. This series will include interviews from both our Akron and Pittsburgh offices to give you an idea of who are and what we do.
The employee spotlight this week is Blanche Helbling, who is one of our summer legal interns in our Pittsburgh office. She has been with us since July and will stay throughout the summer. She is currently pursuing a law degree at University of Pennsylvania Law School and finished her first year this spring.
