Erin Brockovich's Tips for Taking Charge of Your Injustice
Monday, January 30, 2012 5:00AM
Erin Brockovich came on Anderson's "Unhappily Ever After" show to help Dolores and Vernon, whose house was allegedly destroyed by a gas company. Erin knows a thing or two about consumer injustice, having served as a legal clerk, environmental activist and famous consumer advocate, but she also knows how difficult it can be to fight an entity whose finances and power are greater than your own.
All hope is not lost, however, when trying to right the wrongdoings of corporations. Erin has compiled a list of tips to help victims of consumer injustice in their battle.
Filed Under: As Seen On The Show
Comments
Dear Anderson,
Thank you for doing the show on natural gas drilling. I believe this is the most important issue we are facing today when you look at the BIG picture of natural gas drilling and what is happening in PA. There has been contamination of millions of peoples drinking water and a threat to those of you getting your water from the Delaware River Basin. Here in PA we have hundreds of people who have lost all of their clean drinking water. They have water so toxic they can not only light it on fire, it isn't safe to bath in! Families with open lessons, rashes and skin irritations from bathing in their water. Farmers have livestock and pets loosing their hair, still born calf's, pets found dead in the barns. There are 30 families in Evans city PA who all lost their clean water last fall. They are afraid to speak up because the industry threatened to not deliver water to the new "Water Buffaloes" that are dotting the rural land all over PA. It's been documented that our rivers have been polluted with millions of gallons of toxic fracking fluids from illegal dumping. This industry was exempted from the "clean air, clean water and super fund acts in 2005 by **** Chaney and George Bush called the "Halliburton Loophole"
We need as many people as possible to be reporting the truth about what is happening in America with this very dangerous industry. Please do some more investigative reporting on this issue. Watch the Academy Award nominated (2011) documentary "Gasland" to see what had been happening here. We've been fighting this battle for 3 years and it's been hard. We are committed to letting the American people know what is really happening with the extraction of natural gas in this country and everywhere else it is being done in the world.
Sincerely,
Briget Shields
Here is a cause that is affecting so many people that are thrown into a dis functional
Government agency that are legal criminals. These people are injured workers in the state of California. It is so bad that people whom have been injured 10 years plus are still getting denials for treatment, medications, and money which they have put into the system for many ,many years!
My name is Jane, Registered Nurse/CNOR (certified nurse in the operating room).
I've worked in the medical world for 37 years. I've had multiple injuries due to doing bedside
Nursing and now am disabled, fused neck, fused lumbar, and multiple bulging disc's in
My thoracic back. I've been put on over 18 different anti-depressants, gone through 2.
Major surgeries, multiple epidural injections, been on the most potent narcotics, medications for pain and meds for panic attacks from severe anxiety , psychotherapy , psychiatrists, and physical therapy. I go to a chronic pain class weekly and the story is the same for most all of us!
If you didn't know, there is a common cyclic syndrome that happens to the injured worker with chronic pain. It is pain, depression, anxiety, and common thoughts of suicide. One person in my class did commit suicide! The system that we deal with is like banging your head against the wall. Every treatment or medication or diagnostic
Procedures are denied and you have to fight like hell to get the minimum.
I have lost my job (fired) due to the lack of concentration due to the pain/meds/depression. Your treated like the weak bird in the nest and eventually they will kick you out.
There is so much lost that anybody with common sense wouldn't be depressed with
severe anxiety.
I lost my job (my identity for 37 yr.s), medical insurance, $14k of retirement medical insurance money because I wasn't 55, I was 53, my profession due to medical and mental health. I've gone through most of my savings and receive $200 a week from Workers Compensation State Fund. I made $58 hour, full medical insurance, 401k, medical $ for retirement, and all my insurances for short/long term disabilities.
I'm a single Mom, luckily my daughter is grown graduate from Cal Poly Tech in San Luis Obispo Ca, through her sport track and field and became 6th in the Nation in shot put , an All American and got through College on a scholarship. Very lucky Mom that way.
INJURED WORKERS are treated worst than Welfare Mothers, after 37 years of service. We don't work in safe environment's, people weigh more and more and there isn't enough help and proper equipment to safely do there job!!
If you could help by getting this into the media and make people aware of the injustice
That is happening to scores of people, put some pressure on the legislature, and let us have a voice it would be so appreciated.
A famous Pain specialist from Stanford University Hospital that has a Chronic Pain Clinic Dr. Brose took 25 cases to the AMA and showed how 90% of all requests of treatment was denied by these Work Comp Utilization Review Companies and had one company completely fired/dismantled due to criminal acts. These doctors that work for these work comp companies are not even educated in chronic pain. No neurologist's, orthopod's, chronic pain specialists, anesthesiologist , no nothing!!!!
If there is anything you could do for us/me, it would be so appreciated!
Sincerely Jane Dufresne. 831 588-9889
Bonnie Knapp, now Gill, my former high school buddy (Corning-Painted Post West High class of 1974), now lives in Bradford County, PA, the new "Gasland". Here are some rants she sent me on Facebook about the process:
• we're dealing with all that 'crap' here in PA too...it's mind boggling! and annoying, and irritating, and noisy...talking about the gas companies tearing up the land and God knows what else! I'm glad to see NY doing a better job of investigating these things BEFORE they sign contracts!!
Thursday at 10:18am • LikeUnlike
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Ann Finneran I worry about you guys in the Northern Tier, Bonnie. As you know, Richard has many cousins in the area. I'm afraid PA is fk'd. (pardon my french, but speaking about french, i'm concerned about the asylum area. don't think Marie Antoinette would want the land these days.)
Thursday at 11:46am • LikeUnlike
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Bonnie Knapp Gill
AMEN to that! Let me tell you that it sickens us to see them just plowing through all the mountains, fields and other types of greenery. I don't know of anyone who has ever said they 'checked into what exactly would be taking place'...and G...od knows the economy was just at the right 'low' so people would just jump at some cash...and I can't say as I blame them there!! Although, had we had land and had we been approached to sell said land for gas and mineral mining...I sure as hell would have done my homework on it first. The Earth comes first, otherwise...where will we live? Can't farm on a lot of the land around here that hasn't been disturbed cause who wants taters that blow up??? I ask you.....pssshhhhhhhh!! and you 'FRENCH' is just fine!
All I know, Ann, is that here in PA….NOTHING is the same. You can take a drive in the country… bu*****ch you’re a**. The trucks will …push you off the road (if there is a road left) and the farms are GONE. There are well towers and lights and dynamite and noise and water trucks and drills and jack hammering and keep ou signs and well signs and ruts as big as some of the cars in the area… ad infinitum. I swear that if some of the people had KNOWN what they’d actually do to the land…it never would have happened.
Yes, the money fans are partly responsible, but the damned economy (an oxymoron) and the depressed situation of many of the farming communities…well it was bound to happen. And they don’t flippin’ CARE about a single thing. Seriously, need we frack 24/7???? I think it’s just plain RUDE to run those trucks on these roads all day and night. Does it NOT matter that the real people of the world need their sleep?? rest?? or just plain quiet?? NO IT DOESN’T.
I have literally cried over all of this. Many reasons...mostly the INVASION!!! They're like aliens...they swoop in on the accidents caused by their vehicles and try to clean it up and act like it didn't happen BEFORE the locals find out. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.
I saw Erin Brockovich on your show this morning. She was talking about the seismic events across the country related to hydrofracking. It is believed that natural gas drilling may have caused earthquakes in North Texas; Cleburne TX never had earthquakes in its recorded history until extensive fracking came into the area. In New York State - large scale seismic testing has been completed by Norse Energy, shale gas driller, on 38,000 acres, 21% of its total acreage holdings. Seismic testing underground using explosives. can cause water wells to collapse or foul and can disrupt wildlife. It can also crumble foundations.
In NYS we are facing a huge environmental issue if this new unconventional shale gas drilling is allowed. As huge corporations control our media - a lot of folks don’t even know it’s coming to upstate New York.
Any coverage of hydrofracking is greatly appreciated. As always, thank you for your great work in educating the public.
Cheryl Cary
Was unable to get the last part of the interview with couple from Texas. What did Anderson do for the couple ??
I am more upset at disreputable corporations that ever, since watching your show today! I hate it that you've left the situation with that poor couple by sending Home Depot in to make repairs on their house.....repairs for damage caused by a large corporation....who denies any connection. What happens to that corporation? Where is responsibility? Are we all possible victims?
Great investigative work on the follow up to CHK's water tests: http://www.publicherald.org/archives/14617/investigative-...
Hello
I just saw your show on NBC and I have royalties in the Ft. Worth Area for Cheasapeake Energy Company. The show was very informative and I plan to call some of my neighbors about this. I have sent emails and called several times asking the people in Ft. Worth and Oklahoma Chesapeake offices why we aren't getting royalties and they keep giving me excuses or they do not answer their emails I send. They keep saying they need to send out the division letter and that will tell us when we should start receiving our checks. I have a 90 year old aunt that lives in the Crestwood Addition and she gets waked up at night from the noise, but no money from them. Just excuses.
I missed the majority of your show today-- but saw the ending and the woman on your stage in tears. I heard her mention Chesapeake Gas and knew immediately her issue.
The same company is drilling where I live- Youngstown Ohio. And because of the drilling and injection wells we've had several pretty major earthquakes -- 11 in less than a year! the last one being 4.2...in Youngstown Ohio! Never before has this happened. It's due to the fracking of these wells.
We have an injection well less than 2 miles down the street from us and we also have well water. I'm so worried about my water being damaged, my house property value going down, and my house pretty much crumbling from beneath me.
This gas company also hounds my dad, who is 88 years old. They want him to sign a lease to drill on his property. He he doesn't want it and has told them numerous times.
I believe in providing new ways for new jobs--but this is going about it all the wrong way. It's like a get rich scheme for the gas/oil companies--and leaves people who work hard for their homes in a dumping ground.
This has got to stop and appropriate measures taken before it goes any further. There is no one from this company that can guarantee that no damage to water, homes, property value will not be done. Regulations are not in place nor do I believe proper testing of underground faults, and fracking.
Our Senator-- Bob Hagan has a been a huge voice for home owners here in Youngstown...and truly appreciate his voice.
Thank you for putting this on your show. It's becoming a large issue--
Jus*****ched your clip about community activism. So here it goes. Do you know about the problems that are happening with the siting of industrial wind turbines. This form of "renewable" energy is not clean, green or efficient. Far from it, because they are intermittent, unreliable, non-dispatchable & expensive which require fossil fuel backup which in turn become inefficient in their operation creating in turn more emissions. To top things off, residents living nearby these project areas are suffering from sleepless nights, elevated BP's, ear pressure etc. See www.windturbinesyndrome.com for more info. They are also creating havoc on avian wildlife with direct strikes and heavy unstudied impact on migratory routes and disturbances to nesting habitat.
A great injustice is happening with regards to "green" energy especially wind. In essence it is a boondoggle carefully crafted by the American Wind Energy Assoc. to provide exorbitant taxpayer subsidies for the profit of developers at the expense of rural residents and the taxpayer & ratepayer.
Loved this segment, but it only touched on the real problem. I heard the word used only once "fracking". This is the process the gas companies use to extract natural gas from the rock formations deep in the earth. Its a huge ecological problem that is not talked about often enough because the big gas companies keep it quiet. If the simple testing is causing these problems now to these homes, just wait until the sub-strata collapses after the gas companies have extracted the natural gas! People are not aware of the implications. I recommend everyone google "fracking" and see how this process works, and what the deadly consequences really are. Cracks in an old house are miniscule compared to whats really happening!
The comment on today's show that Erin Brockovich made about lawsuits from hydra frac and the couples alleged problems created from seismic testing are completely two different topics. Hydra frac is the process of injecting high pressure water into rocks to create fractures to allow oil to pool. Seismic is generating vibration and reading the sound waves. The damage I saw at the couplesâs residence on your show is normal wear experienced by Midwestern homes. It is caused by the regions clay soil expanding and contracting. My home's driveway cracked the first year after it was built. Concrete work is not generally warrantied in this region because of this known outcome. Cracks at the corners of the foundation, separating of bricks and wood, cracks in the sheetrock under the windows etc will be found on any home of that age in the area. I did not find that story credible but it was a nice gesture fixing all of the issues on that elderly couples aging home.
I wish to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Dolores and Vernon for sharing their story about the cracks in their home. THANK YOU also to Anderson for showing this. My husband and I are also dealing with a HUGE company, Unimin Corp, that has been mining silica sand and blasting very very close to our home. It has left many many cracks just like Delores and Vernon's home. It has even been so powerful that it has cracked the bricks and stone mantle in our basement fireplace. We had flooding in our basement also but to know how the foundation looks we will have to rip out the drywall (we've already had to rip out half of the brand new carpet that was in there and the wall wasn't wet..it all leaked in from the very bottom of the wall) During the summer, spring and fall months, EVERY DAY they blast, usually around 2pm, twice, and it really DOES feel like an earthquake. Everything shakes in the house..my vanity upstairs in our bedroom, the bed, my crystal in the kitchen, it turns on the computer when it is asleep, you can actually hear the house shaking when you are outside also. We have been cooperative with them and let them put a little reader out in the yard that measures the waves but it is only maybe 2 feet off the ground and doesn't measure to the top of the house. They have sent a blasting consultant from KY out here to take pictures and I have gone down to the offices many times to see what they are going to do about it but they say their readings are within the state limits so they will do nothing. That it isn't their fault. New repairs that we have done to our upstairs bedroom 2 years ago have been completely damaged. There are cracks stemming from the sides of the windows and all along the walls. It will have to all be redone. But WHEN? They will just crack again until they move farther away which won't be for a couple years yet. It is very frustrating. Also, we have a very large 3 story barn that has many holes that you can see through and the stone is actually falling off the walls from these blasts. I am concerned about what the foundation of our house is if all these other things are happening. I don't understand how they can say that it is just normal "house settling" when the blasts are so strong that they literally wake up my husband (he works 3rd shift FOR them at a different location) Yeah. One of the neighbors had a cracked window that he got a lawyer and they settled with him. I worry if we should do the same. Before we moved in here 3 1/2 years ago there wasn't much damage because they weren't as close as they are now. They had to replace the well here with the previous owner because they cracked it from the blasting. Granted it is an old farmhouse but I am not one to just make stuff up. The shaking when they are blasting and the constant daily reminder that it happens is just so stressful and it's obvious that they don't care about taking responsibility for their actions and doing the right thing and helping us. No way would any one of them build a million dollar home up here because it would be ruined from the blasts. I love our home and the land that we live on. It is the perfect place to raise our children. I never want to leave it here, it is way too beautiful and I thank God everyday for it. God set this place aside just for us. It truly is very special.
Erin Brockovich missed spoke when she refered to the trouble of Dolores and her husband's house being damaged from "hydrofracing". When in reality it most likely was damaged from sonic testing done by a company that is hired by the gas production companies to map the formation underground. Which can lead to a gas production company deciding on whether they will drill in the area or not. I feel sorry for the couple and their house being damaged and I do wish the company responsible would have helped them. What also has happened in our society is the attorneys that are hired by the large companies. They can and will always find a loophole for their clients. Maybe we should go after the attorneys!