Updates

January 15, 2015 In Updates

Dairies Can Be Liable for Manure Under Federal Law, Judge Rules

An image from the Ericksen report, submitted by the plaintiffs in this case. A federal judge in Washington State has backed arguments by environmental groups that animal waste that is incorrectly disposed of by livestock facilities can violate solid waste disposal rules and pose an…

December 17, 2014 In Updates

Landmark Settlement Means Coal Mines Have New Obligations to Restore Impaired Streams

A degraded watershed in central Appalachia. First-of-its-kind agreement forces cleanup of conductivity pollution in West Virginia A coalition of environmental groups represented by Public Justice and Appalachian Mountain Advocates has reached a settlement with two Appalachian coal mining companies that breaks new ground by requiring…

December 9, 2014 In Updates

Help Public Justice Make an Impact

Public Justice is spotlighting two of its programs this December: our ongoing campaign in defense of the right of everyone to have their day in court when they have been harmed and our litigation holding school districts that fail to stop pervasive bullying in their schools accountable. A2J…

November 18, 2014 In Updates

Public Interest Coalition Asks Court for Judgment in Lawsuit Challenging Idaho’s Controversial "Ag-Gag” Law

photo credit: Farm Sanctuary via photopin cc Today, a broad-based public interest coalition of national nonprofits, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, and Center for Food Safety, filed a motion for…

November 17, 2014 In Updates

Mining Company Must Pay for West Virginia Water Pollution

Public Justice settlement could lead to stricter federal regulation of “minefills” A U.S. District Court judge has approved a settlement between environmental activists represented by Public Justice, and Coresco, Inc. that could influence federal regulators preparing to make effective rules on the disposal of coal…

November 17, 2014 In Updates

Consumer and Environmental Litigator Esther Berezofsky Becomes President of Public Justice

Esther Berezofsky, a litigator known for her accomplishments in leading pharmaceutical and medical device litigation, and representing communities impacted by environmental contamination, became Public Justice’s President at its Annual Meeting in Baltimore, Md., in late July. “I’m excited about the privilege of serving as Public…

November 10, 2014 In Updates

Fighting for The Safety of Kids in Foster-Care System

By Aidan O’SheaCommunications Specialist When an Ohio couple began adopting high-risk foster children, social services flagged them as a “go-to family.” That couple’s abuse of those children could have been stopped. Witnesses at the criminal trial of Michael and Sharen Gravelle for the abuse of…

October 20, 2014 In Updates

Jury Finds Trinity Guardrail Defrauded Government, Must Pay $175 Million in Damages

An image from the United States ex rel. Harman v. Trinity complaint Key records from the case remain under seal A Texas jury has found that cost-cutting measures and deliberate withholding of information about those measures by highway guardrail manufacturer Trinity Industries Inc. defrauded the government…

October 15, 2014 In Updates

Public Justice Litigates Coal Ash Disposal: An Explainer

photo credit: Waterkeeper Alliance Inc. via photopin cc Public Justice’s Coal Ash Litigation Project, part of our Environmental Enforcement Project, protects communities and wildlife from toxic pollution, and forces coal companies to confront and pay the full cost of the damage they do. Here’s a…

September 29, 2014 In Updates

Student Raped After School Uses Her as “Bait” in Sting Operation

A 14-year-old was raped when an Alabama public school used her as bait in a botched plan to catch a boy “in the act” after she reported his sexual harassment. She believes the school bears responsibility for her suffering, and is seeking to hold it…