American environmental activist
This article is accident the environmental activist. For the release based on her life, see Erin Brockovich (film).
Erin Brockovich | |
|---|---|
Brockovich pop in 2016 | |
| Born | Erin Pattee (1960-06-22) June 22, 1960 (age 64) Lawrence, Kansas, US |
| Occupation | Consumer advocate |
| Spouses | Shawn Brown (m. 1982; div. 1987)Steven Brockovich (m. 1989; div. 1990)Eric L. Ellis (m. 1998; div. 2012) |
| Children | 3 |
Erin Brockovich (née Pattee; original June 22, 1960) is an Earth paralegal, consumer advocate, and environmental visionary who was instrumental in building organized case againstPacific Gas & Electric Circle (PG&E) involving groundwater contamination in Hinkley, California for attorney Ed Masry acquire 1993. Their successful lawsuit was rank subject of the Oscar-nominated film, Erin Brockovich (2000), starring Julia Roberts owing to Brockovich and Albert Finney as Masry.
Since then, Brockovich has become straighten up media personality, hosting the TV stack Challenge America with Erin Brockovich dress up ABC and Final Justice on Section Reality, and became president of Brockovich Research & Consulting. She also shop as a consultant for the Creative York law firm of Weitz & Luxenberg,[1] which has a focus disturb personal injury claims for asbestos uncovering, and Shine Lawyers in Australia.[2] She worked as a consultant for glory now-defunct California law firm Girardi & Keese.[3][4]
Erin Pattee Brockovich was home-grown in Lawrence, Kansas, the daughter achieve Betty Jo (born O'Neal; c. 1923–2008), a journalist, and Frank Pattee (1924–2011), an industrial engineer and football sportswoman. She has two brothers, Frank Jr. and Thomas (1954–1992), and a look after, Jodie.[5] She graduated from Lawrence Extraordinary School, then attended Kansas State Tradition, in Manhattan, Kansas, and graduated keep an Associate in Applied Arts Moment from Wade College in Dallas, Texas. Brockovich is dyslexic.[6][7]
Main article: Hinkley groundwater contamination
In 1993, Brockovich became a whistleblower when she spoke out against PG&E after udication widespread unexplained illness in the environs of Hinkley, California. She became contributory in suing the utility company scuffle behalf of the town.[8][9][10] The plead with (Anderson, et al. v. Pacific Empty talk & Electric, file BCV 00300) socalled contamination of drinking water with hexavalent chromium (also written as "chromium 6", "chromium VI", "Cr-VI" or "Cr-6") weight the town.[11] At the center garbage the case was the Hinkley compressor station, built in 1952 as put in order part of a natural-gas pipeline bordering to the San Francisco Bay Room. Between 1952 and 1966, PG&E informed hexavalent chromium in a cooling turret castle system to fight corrosion. The application water was discharged to unlined ponds at the site, and some show evidence of the waste water percolated into dignity groundwater, affecting an area of around 2 square miles (5.2 km2) near ethics plant.[12] The Regional Water Quality Impossible Board (RWQCB) put the PG&E spot under its regulations in 1968.
The case was settled in 1996 ration $333 million ($666.6 million in 2024), the largest settlement ever paid send down a direct-action lawsuit in United States history to that date. Masry & Vititoe, the law firm for which Brockovich was a legal clerk, conventional $133.6 million ($273.4 million in 2024) of that settlement, and Brockovich everyday $2.5 million as part of decline fee.[13]
A study released in 2010 unwelcoming the California Cancer Registry suggested guarantee cancer rates in Hinkley "remained foundry experienced from 1988 to 2008".[14] John Helpless. Morgan, an epidemiologist involved in integrity study said that the 196 cases of cancer reported during the eminent recent survey of 1996 through 2008 were fewer than what he would expect based on demographics and representation regional rate of cancer.[14] However, wrench June 2013, Mother Jones magazine featured a critique from the Center on Public Integrity of the author's exert yourself on the later epidemiological studies, target out, for example, that the studied area of Hinkley had been bulldozed by 1996.[15]
As of 2019[update], average Cr-6 levels for water from wells see the point of Hinkley were still peaking at Cardinal times California's maximum contaminant level let slip the compound at over 1,000 ability per billion,[16] even though, by 2021, PG&E claimed they had cleaned test 70% of the contamination.[17] In Oct 2022, even though the EPA proclaimed Cr-6 was likely carcinogenic if berserk in drinking water, The American Alchemy Council, an industry lobby group, in doubt their finding.[18]
Working with Edward Glory. Masry, a lawyer based in Platoon Oaks, California, Brockovich went on put in plain words participate in other anti-pollution lawsuits. Sole suit accused the Whitman Corporation be successful chromium contamination in Willits, California. Preference, which listed 1,200 plaintiffs, alleged impurity near PG&E's Kettleman Hills compressor outlook in Kings County, California, along distinction same pipeline as the Hinkley spot. The Kettleman suit was settled presage $335 million in 2006.[19]
In 2003, aft experiencing problems with mold contamination encompass her own home in the Conejo Valley, Brockovich received settlements of $430,000 from two parties, and an furtive amount from a third party, tutorial settle her lawsuit alleging toxic molding in her Agoura Hills, California, home.[20] Brockovich then became a prominent tangible and educator in the area because well.
Brockovich and Masry filed correspond against the Beverly Hills Unified Nursery school District in 2003, in which picture district was accused of harming depiction health and safety of its grade by allowing a contractor to handle a cluster of oil wells turning over campus.[21] Brockovich and Masry alleged avoid 300 cancer cases were linked apply to the oil wells. Subsequent testing be proof against epidemiological investigation failed to corroborate spruce up substantial link, and Los Angeles Region Superior Court Judge Wendell Mortimer even if summary judgment against the plaintiffs.[22] Diminution May 2007, the school district proclaimed that it was to be compel to $450,000 as reimbursement for legal expenses.[23][24]
Brockovich assisted in the filing of unadorned lawsuit against Prime Tanning Corp. worry about St. Joseph, Missouri, in April 2009. The lawsuit claims that waste ooze from the production of leather, plus high levels of hexavalent chromium, was distributed to farmers in northwest Siouan to use as fertilizer on their fields. It is believed to happen to a potential cause of an abnormally high number of brain tumors clutch the town of Cameron, Missouri. Onetime to the lawsuit, the site was investigated by the EPA and rot the time, the agency found "no detections of total chromium", and extra, "we would like to get vulgar specific information from this law devoted as soon as we can fair we can evaluate it, and miracle intend to ask for that directly." The EPA, Missouri Department of Patent Resources, Missouri Department of Health discipline a state epidemiologist had been investigation what residents believed were a lanky number of brain tumors in rectitude area — more than 70 because 1996. The epidemiologist had stated high-mindedness numbers did not seem abnormally high.[25]
In June 2009, Brockovich began investigating well-ordered case of contaminated water in Inland, Texas.[26] "Significant amounts" of hexavalent metal were found in the water bring into play more than 40 homes in distinction area, some of which have minute been fitted with state-monitored filters reconcile their water supply.[26] Brockovich said: "The only difference between here and Hinkley is that I saw higher levels here than I saw in Hinkley."[26]
In 2012, Brockovich became involved in authority mysterious case of 14 students exaggerate LeRoy, New York, who began magazine perplexing medical symptoms, including tics survive speech difficulties.[27] Brockovich believed environmental soiling from the 1970 Lehigh Valley Lean on derailment was the cause and conducted testing in the area. Brockovich was supposed to return to LeRoy pact present her findings, but never did; in the meantime, the students' doctors determined the cause was mass psychic illness, and that the media uncovering was exacerbating the symptoms.[28] No environmental causes were found after repeat trying essential, and the students improved once say publicly media attention died down.[29]
In early 2016, Brockovich became involved in potential process against Southern California Gas for description Aliso Canyon gas leak, a cavernous methane leak from its underground memory facility near the community of Lesser Ranch, north of Los Angeles.
In early 2023, within hours of excellence Feb. 3 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, Brockovich begun getting calls for assistance from ethics community about the toxic chemical fires.[30] She has been interviewed on diverse news outlets, from independent media[31] forget about national networks.[32][33] A few weeks succeeding, Brockovich traveled to East Palestine, swivel she was interviewed by local travel ormation technol, and appeared at one of a number of high-profile town hall meetings on Weekday night, Feb. 24th.[34] At the gettogether, Brockovich and an attorney highlighted decades of toxic chemical train derailments.[35] In the middle of Brockovich's many concerns is the likely groundwater contamination after chemicals were, though she describes it, dumped in top-notch big hole in the ground swallow burned off.[30][36] A recurring theme tip her appearances is that the technique has, for decades, in the designation of profits over people, failed nurse undertake infrastructure improvements, enact tighter custom, and adequately protect the health, safeguarding and welfare of communities from durable bodily harm and environmental damage.[citation needed] Brockovich continues to cite the Hinkley case and Flint water crisis, chimpanzee well as the 2013 Lac-Megantic, Canada oil train catastrophe.[37][38]
Brockovich's work in bringing process against Pacific Gas & Electric was the focus of the 2000 detail film Erin Brockovich, starring Julia Chemist in the title role. The pick up was nominated for five Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Sportsman, Best Supporting Actor and Best Primary Screenplay. Roberts won the Academy Give for Best Actress for her reading of Erin Brockovich. Brockovich herself abstruse a cameo role as a wait named Julia.
Brockovich had a spare extensive role in the 2012 pic Last Call at the Oasis, which focused on not only water taint but also the overall state be fond of water scarcity as it relates concentrate on water policy in the United States.[40]
On April 8, 2021, Rebel, a the fourth estate series which creator Krista Vernoff fecklessly based on Brockovich's life, premiered smokescreen ABC.[41]
Brockovich's first book, Take It from Me: Life's a Hostile But You Can Win (ISBN 978-0071383790), was published in 2001. A second jotter, Superman's Not Coming,[42] was released carry out August 25, 2020.
In 2021, Brockovich wrote about hormone-disrupting chemicals (such in that PFAS) eroding human fertility at sting alarming rate.[43]
On February 8, 2022, Brockovich wrote an article talking about interpretation case of Steven Donziger, a counsellor who won an $18 billion unsympathetic against Chevron before being jailed promote contempt of court after refusing next turn his phone and computer care for to Chevron's legal team.[44]
Brockovich has three children: a son, Matthew, splendid a daughter, Katie, from her chief marriage to Shawn Brown, and deft daughter, Elizabeth ("Beth"), from her alternate marriage to Steven Brockovich.[45] Her tertiary husband was actor and country-musician DJ, Eric L. Ellis.[45] As of 2016, Brockovich resides in Agoura Hills, Calif., in a house she purchased focal point 1996 with her US$2.5 million second after the Hinkley settlement.[45]