Tuesday, February 28, 2023: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (PST) via Zoom

Join the LA Law Library book discussion group via Zoom as we begin our year-long exploration of environmental justice and climate related issues.  The first book of 2023, Desperate: An Epic Battle for Clean Water and Justice in Appalachia, by Kris Maher, follows a determined environmental lawyer, Kevin Thompson, as he waged an epic seven year battle against Massey Energy, West Virginia’s most powerful coal company.  For two decades, the water in the taps and wells of Mingo County, W. Va. didn’t look, smell or taste right. Could the water be the root of the health problems – from kidney stones to cancer – in this Appalachian community?  Working with fellow lawyers and a crew of young activists, Thompson would eventually uncover the ruthless shortcuts by Massey Energy that put the community drinking water at risk.

About the Author:

• Pittsburgh based staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal since 2005
• Writes about environmental issues, regional economic trends, politics and breaking news
• Reported on Flint water crisis, PFAS drinking water contamination, Massey Energy’s Upper Big Branch Mine disaster and the pandemic’s effect on families coping with remote learning

Presented by: Katie O’Laughlin, Managing Librarian, Reference & Research

Registration fee: FREE.  This discussion will be hosted via Zoom.  Zoom information and link will be emailed to registrants prior to discussion.

LA Law Library does not provide legal advice: LA Law Library does not provide legal advice. LA Law Library provides legal resources and assistance with legal research as an educational service. The information presented in this program is not legal advice and is provided solely as an educational service to our patrons. For legal advice, you should consult an attorney.