David Dempsey
David Dempsey has been a life long environmentalist with a focus on clean water. Throughout his career in advocacy, David has worked for the Michigan Environmental Council, as Environmental advisor to Governor Blanchard (1983-89), as Program Director of Clean Water Action (1991-94), as a Policy Advisor for the IJC (2011-2017), and is currently the Senior Advisor to FLOW.
Interview with Dave Dempsey
August 20, 2019
Conducted by Katherine Hummel
Clips
3:16 - 4:42
David talks about the major threats to groundwater in Michigan overtime and how the Ecology Center has helped with those issues. #groundwater #water #contamination #pollution #GelmanSciences #toxics #CleanWater
4:52 - 5:35
David discusses his role in the Gelman Sciences clean-up and how the coalition, including the Ecology Center, were successful at getting the Polluter Pay Law passed despite it being repealed 5 years later. #GelmanSciences #toxics #CleanWater #contamination #pollution #EcologyCenter #PolluterPayLaw
6:44 - 8:52
David talks about the 1993 demonstration about water contamination at the IJC biannual meeting on Great Lakes water quality. He mentions the large banner they had, the outrage from industry, and the large role Tracey Easthope and the Ecology Center played. #EcologyCenter #CleanWater #groundwater #contamination #IJC #toxics
11:30 - 12:14
David recalls what it was like working on the Michigan Environmental Council in its early days and how it was a very small operation despite being seen as the lobbying arm of the environmental community. #MEC #lobbying #coalition
13:06 - 14:26
David talks about how difficult it was working in environmentalism during the Engler administration and how the Ecology Center was able to make the best of that situation by taking direct action with hospitcal incincerators. #Engler #incinerators #toxics #HealthCareWithoutHarm #EcologyCenter
20:37 - 21:55
David discusses fish advisories, how they were reduced under Engler, and how the Ecology Center's advocacy was effective in pulling public attention and expanding advisories, especially to low income and minority communities. #fishadvisory #cleanwater #pollution #mercury #toxics
30:08 - 30:46
David talks about working on the medical waste issue and water contamination and how they are his most memorable moments working with the Ecology Center. #medicalwaste #incinerators #HealthCareWithoutHarm #watercontamination #CleanWater #toxics