Heath and Justice

Dan Ezekiel - June, 26 2019 interview

21:00-22:30 - Dan recalls how he helped to stop a proposal to build a waste to energy incinerator on North Campus.

Margaret Weber - August 7, 2019 interview

16:42-17:58 - Margaret discusses how her and Zero Waste Detroit worked with a coalition of other environmental groups, including the Ecology Center, on writing a report to the Detroit Environmental Justice Taskforce on alternatives to incinerators.

Mike Garfield - July 22, 2019 interview

1:10:22 - 1:11:44 - Mike talks about how the Ecology Center became known as one of the prime organizations in the midwest for toxics and how that power came from their recognition of the connection between local and global issues.
1:12:12 - 1:13:46 - Mike discusses some of the great successes of the Ecology Center in the 1990s and how one of the main things was realizing that their work on environmental issues is connected to human health.

Mike Garfield - November 20, 2017 interview

17:39 - 19:24 - Mike talks about the Ecology Center's complicated relationship with industry and how much of their work has led to conflict with them, but also dialogue and productive change.

Liz Brater - September 26, 2019 interview

8:06-9:40 - Liz discusses the Gelman Sciences controversy and how the city council of Ann Arbor fought them over the levels of dioxane with which they were contaminating ground water.
20:00-21:25 - Liz discusses how under Governor Engler Michigan's toxics clean-up standard was changed and increased the cancer risk for Michigan citizens 10x.

Lana Pollack - August 21, 2019 interview

9:08 - 11:06 - Lana talks about how the Gelman Sciences controversy in a prime example of a continuing failure to protect the public due to corporations protecting themselves.

Tracey Easthope - November 20, 2017 interview

13:10 - 14:41 - Tracey talks about Good Neighbor Agreements, one of the ways the Ecology Center was able to pressure companies into changing their processes to reduce their toxics emissions.
20:27 - 22:27 - Tracey discusses environmental justice and how her work in toxins has always had an environmental justice focus.
48:38 - 50:27 - Tracey discusses the connection between large scale issues and local issues, especially in regards to incinerators across the country contaminating lakes and in turn poisoning people in those communties.

Tracey Easthope - July 19 2019 interview

3:48 - 5:43 - Tracey emphasizes the importance of grassroots activists to the toxics movement and brings out an individual's story from the Michigan Toxics Watch newsletter that was published by the Ecology Center.
7:34 - 8:35 - Tracey talks about how events like the Bhopal chemical disaster led to people organizing for community right to know laws.
12:15 - 14:44 - Tracey talks about how the research on endocrine disrupters led to the creation of the Michigan Environmental Health Coalition.
20:49 - 21:57 - Tracey discusses how Green Peace organizing about toxics in the Great Lakes culminated in an iconic IJC meeting where people from many communities came to speak.
27:37 - 30:00 - Tracey talks about the lawsuit that shut down most of the medical waste incincerators across the country and then the EC efforts that worked to shut down the rest in Michigan.
32:14 - 33:30 - Tracey emphasizes how closely the EC worked with local communities in the fight against toxics and how they worked to elevate the community, not take over.
34:41 - 35:58 - Tracey talks about the incredibe, forward thinking reports that the IJC came out with that helped to jump start the toxics movement.
42:16 - 44:55 - Tracey discusses how the movement for Dow Chemical cleanup got started, efforts by activists, and Dow's effort at denial.
50:06 - 52:47 - Tracey talks about the fight to get Gelman Sciences to clean up their 1,4 dioxane contamination, the methods for treatment, and the personal attacks that were targeting at activists.

Tracey Easthope - October 25, 2019 interview

1:29 - 2:49 - Tracey talks about how the Ecology Center helped get the Toxic Substances Control Act reauthorized in 2015 and what impact it has had.
4:20 - 5:59 - Tracey discusses the lawsuit the Ecology Center was a part of that cracked down on the pollution caused by medical waste incinerators and the other ways they fought incinerators.
11:30 - 13:17 - Tracey talks about how she and David Stead got invovled in the Gelman Sciences clean-up and how they were able to get Gelman Sciences to treat the contaminated water, not just dilute it
14:55 - 16:00 - Tracey talks about how the broader goal of HCWH today is to move from a doing less harm to a restorative health mindset.
17:42 - 20:00 - Tracey discusses how Healthcare Without Harm got started and why they decided to focus on the healthcare sector.
22:00 - 23:16 - Tracey talks about some of the exciting strides the healthcare sector has made in becoming more eco-friendly.
27:05 - 28:35 - Tracey discusses the idea behind Michigan Green Chemistry Directive and its goals.

David Dempsey - August 20, 2019 interview

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Jeff Gearhart - July 22, 2019 interview

25:33 - 27:12 - Jeff discusses how their work on auto manufacturing transitioned into work concerning the greater life cycle of those products, including how they impact users. This turn towards user impact birthed HealthyCars, which later evolved into HealthyStuff.
29:19 - 32:21 - Jeff talks about how HealthyCars spurred the idea for HealthyToys, how that campaign gained great popularity, and how it eventually all got consolidated in HealthyStuff.
35:40 - 37:32 - Jeff discusses citizen science, like that in the HealthyStuff campaign, and how it's helped alter the power dynamic of who controls information about products.

Nancy Stone - July 3, 2019 interview

14:50 - 16:35 - Nancy talks about how the EC's home toxics collection program was so successful that it eventually led to further funding for toxics information including the Toxics in My Home, You Bet educational program for schools.

John Gilkeson - August 19, 2019 interview

3:32 - 4:54 - John talks about how he and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency got invovled in mercury switch reduction after a study they did on auto shredders showed high mercury levels due to mercury switches.
5:53 - 7:12 - John discusses how the Clean Car Campaign got started after legislation forced information to come out about how extensive the use of mercury switches in cars was.
10:27 - 11:02 - John talks about why mercury switches were used rather than a non-mercury alternative
15:55 - 16:32 - John discusses how he started working with the Ecology Center on lead wheel weights in cars after Jeff from the EC got a $50,000 grant from the EPA to work on the issue.
18:55 - 19:51 - John talks about how he and the EC have been working with an attory because in 2009, a lead wheel weight petition from the EC was accepted by the EPA, but they have yet to do anything to fulfill it.
28:38 - 29:07 - John talks about why it has been so difficult to get the car manufacturers to turn away from lead batteries and that there must be a cheaper and better alternative.

Guy O. Williams - August 20, 2019 interview

3:11 - 5:31 - Guy explains the main goals of Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice when it was founded in 1994-5 and what it focuses on now.
10:35 - 12:54 - Guy talks about his work at the National Wildlife Federation on mercury and how that overlapped with the Ecology Center's work on medical waste, which eventually lead to the coalition that formed Healthcare Without Harm.
16:18 - 17:54 - Guy gives an example to show how important the Ecology Center's expertise and reputation were for making change happen in the healthcare sector regarding toxics.
24:40 - 26:00 - Guy explains the green chemistry movement and how its goal is to make understanding of toxicity central to the development of new chemicals.

Charles Griffith - July 3, 2019 interview

5:43 - 7:42 - Charles talks about working with the EC to get a local right to know ordinance passed and how that led to him getting hired at the EC.
8:57 - 11:14 - Charles discusses the importance of community toxics awareness and how the EC helped by providing information, but also advocacy assistance.
14:48 - 15:52 - Charles talks about the range of strategies the EC used to get companies to reduce their toxics emissions.
18:40 - 22:30 - Charles talks about the effort surrounding the Johnson Controls plant, working with UAW workers, and how the coalition was helpful, but it also caused issues due to worries about worker jobs.
25:24 - 27:40 - Charles discusses the differences between the Johnson Controls and the Gelman Sciences issues and why the Gelman Sciences battle was so much more drawn out.
31:22 - 32:43 - Charles talks about how his toxics work turned into the Auto Toxics Project and led to the EC's involvement in a state program with auto manufacturers committed to reducing toxics.

Kathryn Savoie - August 14, 2019 interview

6:15 - 7:30 - Kathryn talks about Healthcare Without Harm and how she worked closely with them while working at ACCESS
10:50 - 13:05 - Kathryn recalls how Breathe Free Detroit got started to tackle the issue of the waste incinerator in Detroit.
15:53 - 21:09 - Kathryn goes through the entire story of getting the waste incinerator in Detroit shut down including the various strategies she and the EC employed.
32:30 - 33:45 - Kathryn discusses the connection between environmental health and human health and how that relates to environmental justice.

Rebecca Meuninck - July 29, 2019 interview

4:55 - 6:48 - Rebecca talks about how the Michigan Network for Children's Environmental Health got started, the main issues it focused on, and how the coalition faded away after the reform of the Toxic Substances Control Act.
7:18 - 9:03 - Rebecca discusses why the Network focused children and on policy reform at the state level instead of federal.
11:04 - 12:18 - Rebecca talks about the importance of having a symbol, such as Betty the 30ft rubber duck, when advocating against toxics because it helps make something invisible like toxics, visible.
16:23 - 17:14 - Rebecca talks about how the Network and the HealthyStuff campaign worked together.
22:59 - 25:17 - Rebecca discusses the work she had done regarding p-Phos and the different strategies she uses to eliminate it in the environment and stop further contamination.
26:27 - 28:37 - Rebecca talks about the how much work was put in by her and others at the Ecology Center over 15-20 years to get the Toxic Substances Control Act reformed in 2016. This was a win, but she notes that it leaves a lot up to the discretion of the EPA, which is why it has lately been very dissapointing.
33:35 - 35:30 - Rebecca discusses environmental justice and health in regards to gender and how oftentimes women are impacted more greatly by toxic chemicals.

Rebecca Meuninck - June 18, 2021 interview

7:55 - 13:15 - Rebecca speaks about the planning and beginning of the Health Leaders Fellowship.
13:25 - 14:30 - Rebecca touches on her role in the Health Leaders Fellowship as of 2021.
14:38 - 15:45 - Rebecca discusses the Rebecca Head Fund and the role of Rebecca Head as a source of inspiration for the Health Leaders Fellowship.
16:10 - 18:20 - Rebecca talks about programs similar to the Health Leaders Fellowship that have shaped the program.
18:40 - 20:26 - Rebecca reminisces about her best experiences with the Health Leaders Fellowship.
20:59 - 24:10 - Rebecca names a few fellows that have stood out throughout the course of the HLF.
24:30 - 26:50 - Rebecca lists a number of notable milestones the HLF has achieved since it began in 2014.
27:32 - 29:10 - Rebecca discusses the position of the Health Leaders Fellowship in 2021 and its future.

Gary Cohen - August 6, 2019 interview

6:15 - 7:52 - Gary talks about how Healthcare Without Harm got started and how important Tracey Easthope was throughout all the work that they did.
8:07 - 9:14 - Gary recalls the fight against Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit to get their medical waste incinerator shut down.
12:10 - 14:49 - Gary talks about why the fight against Henry Ford was so successful and how they had more leverage against the medical industry than others due to their focus on health and healing.
16:03 - 17:20 - Gary discusses the approach that they took with hospitals and how they didn't blame them, but instead tried to work with them and offer solutions.
26:22 - 28:44 - Gary talks about the hostility they faced from the American Hospital Association, how they worked together on Hospitals for a Healthy Environment, and then how Practice Green Health got started when President Bush shut down Hospitals for a Healthy Environment.
36:53 - 40:33 - Gary talks about a meeting he attended with Baxter and Abbott manufacturers as well as faith based shareholders where they were able to get them to commit to making a line of PVC-free medical products. When they didn't follow through with their promise, Catholic Healthcare West pulled their contract with Baxter.
44:20 - 45:42 - Gary discusses the impact the Ecology Center has had with toxics in the medical industry and how they have encouraged the medical industry to use their market power to phase out toxic products.
47:47 - 48:31 - Gary talks about how the Ecology Center's citizen science has been extremely impactful because they can expose what chemicals are in certain products.
49:06 - 50:12 - Gary discusses the work the Ecology Center has been doing recently with the UN to create globally validated standards for environmentally friendly medical products.

Terry Miller - August 16, 2019 interview

0:41 - 3:00 - Terry talks about how the Lone Tree Council got started in 1978 to advocate for the closing of the Consumer's Power nuclear facility in Midland.
7:52 - 9:20 - Terry discusses the Pollution Prevention Project that he, Tracey, and Diane worked on with Dow Chemical and how it was very successful in not only preventing poillution, but also saving Dow money.
11:38 - 13:04 - Terry talks about how the Ecology Center, and especially Tracey Easthope, worked with Lone Tree Council to put the pressure on Dow with science while they were denying the toxicity of dioxin.
13:31 - 14:41 - Terry talks about the multiple strategies LTC and the EC employed to pressure Dow.
15:13 - 18:05 - Terry recalls the multiple different stages of denial Dow went through when dioxin was discovered in waterways and how, after much effort, they have finally admitted culpability and started clean-up.
29:11 - 31:30 - Terry talks about the reverse activism assault that he has experienced lately in response to his support of renewable wind energy in his township.
35:21 - 36:21 - Terry talks about how working with Tracey Easthope was his absolute favorite part of working with the Ecology Center and how incredible she was to work with.
38:08 - 39:18 - Terry emphasizes the importance of legal strategies and gives the example of the Clean Air Act violation suit against Dow which led to a $1 million settlement. That money, combined with money from other sources such as grants, were all put in a fund to support the environment that totalled $20 million.

Sally Churchill - December 11, 2017 interview

35:26 - 36:45 - Sally talks about the impacts environmental law can have on environmental justice, despite it being such a difficult issue.

David Stead - July 9, 2019 interview

2:00 - 3:14 - David talks about getting an ordinance and a state law passed that required pesticide applicators to notify the public when they are applying and what is in it.
3:51 - 4:49 - David discusses right to know ordinances and how he helped to get them passed on the local and state level.
10:00 - 12:41 - David was talking about how he first got involved with the Gelman Sciences debate over treatment levels and how that led to him running for city council.
18:42 - 21:42 - David discusses the precautionary principle promoted by the EC when dealing with the Gelman Sciences clean-up and how he helped in the negotiation.
21:59 - 23:18 - David walks through his negotiation strategy when tyring to help make a deal between Gelman Sciences and the City of Ann Arbor.
27:22 - 28:54 - David talks about the personal attacks that were targeting at himself, and others at the EC, from the CEO of Gelman Sciences

Michael Dorsey - October 23, 2019 interview

7:14 - 9:22 - Michael talks about how the EC was involved with environmental justice since its inception and how he admired that, and their commitment to science
29:55 - 31:55 - Michael discusses how the testing that the Ecology Center does has inspired the Center for Environmental Health and has huge influence on manufacturing of toxics.

Mara Herman - June 15, 2021 interview

10:13 - 13:39 - Mara touches on the beginning of the Health Leaders Fellowship.
14:08 - 17:40 - Mara talks about her experience as a Health Leaders fellow in the first cohort of the HLF.
17:57 - 25:00 - Mara discusses her experiences as program coordinator for the Health Leaders Fellowship.
25:32 - 31:07 - Mara reflects on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and rising social justice movements in 2020 and 2021 on the Health Leaders Fellowship.
31:24 - 32:27 - Mara speaks about the current position of the Health Leaders Fellowship and future plans for the HLF.
34:31 - 37:28 - Mara discusses the importance of spokesperson training for health leaders, along with the involvement of Engage Michigan and Progress Michigan in the HLF.

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