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Perry County, Alabama is a poor, rural part of central Alabama: a few quiet southern towns just trying to make ends meet. In an effort to stimulate the local economy, Perry County officials made a deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority to take in a ward...the arguably toxic coal ash from last year's well publicized spill. While some of the leaders in town tout the financial windfall of $3 million, some residents aren't so convinced. They remain worried that the ash remains toxic and could leak into their drinking supply. With nearby Tuscaloosa and Jefferson Counties on the EPA's list of top twenty counties for cancer cases, the people of Perry do NOT want to be added to that list! Does the leadership in the county really have the best interests of the people in mind or are they and the TVA simply taking advantage of a group who doesn't have the voice to fight for themselves? Bob Woodruff will talk with concerned local citizens and a city councilman to find out.
Then, Bob interviews Majora Carter, a prime example of changing the world one person at a time. She took it upon herself to "green" her South Bronx neighborhood. In 2001, she started the non-profit Sustainable South Bronx, a group of volunteers committed to cleaning up their neighborhood not only to make it better looking but also more environmentally friendly. From planting new gardens to cleaning up trash along the river, Carter's group made a real impact on her very own backyard. In 2008 she took the knowledge she had acquired and was able to turn a profit. Thanks to the creation of the "Majora Carter Group," she was able to continue to make a difference and help people find cleaner ways of living...with the added bonus of contributing something to her own wallet.
Next, the people of Dimock, Pennsylvania are fed up. For months they have been largely without safe drinking water. Thanks to Cabot Oil and Gas company drilling new wells in search of natural gas. Water was turned off completely for months for fear of contamination. Backyard wells have exploded thanks to methane leaks from the drilling. Only after reports from the town began leaking into the media did Cabot begin to slowly pump some water in for the town to use. This rural stretch of land outside of Scranton is at the center of an issue affecting those from Texas to Michigan and back to Pennsylvania...while trying to find natural gas which could potentially be a valuable cleaner burning energy, big companies are stepping on the little guy. Just how is this town getting by and what can they do to have their voices heard?
Finally, it's not just natural gas that is effecting the nation's drinking water. As Erin Brockovich knows firsthand, it is often the least able to defend themselves who end up being taken advantage of. She is now taking her personal experience of fighting for clean drinking water and is trying to be a voice for the voiceless not just in her home state of California but all over the country and the world. Focus Earth will check in with Erin Brockovich to see what she has been up to and how she stared environmental injustice in the face...and won.
Don't miss this episode of Focus Earth. Check our tv schedule for listings.
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