IN YOUR BACKYARD: The People’s Fight for Clean Water
Summary
Host Luke Radel explores water pollution and environmental justice in this episode of In Your Backyard. He interviews Sandy Wynn Stelt, who lost her husband to cancer linked to PFAS contamination in Michigan, and Cynthia, a resident fighting Amazon’s data center construction in Indiana. The episode concludes with a conversation with Senator Ed Markey, who discusses the Trump administration’s rollback of environmental protections, the risks of data centers, and the need for progressive legislation to safeguard communities.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Whoop, California Closets, and Squarespace
Introduction to the In Your Backyard series
Host intro: Water infrastructure and community impact
Overview of weakened environmental protections
Interview: Life in Belmont, Michigan and PFAS discovery
Personal impact: Loss of husband and corporate negligence
Community health issues and legal battles
Reflections on fighting City Hall and corporate accountability
Interview: Cynthia on data center construction in Indiana
Water usage, pollution, and noise from data centers
Trespassing, fines, and the coal plant emergency order
Why Cynthia stays and fights for her community
Interview: Sen. Ed Markey on childhood in Malden, MA
The importance of clean water in Massachusetts
Massachusetts v. EPA and climate change litigation
The Sackett decision and Supreme Court rulings
Legislation to protect communities from data centers
Bipartisan concerns and the Superfund analogy
Critique of AI CEOs and the 'Godfather' meeting
AI risks: Privacy, nuclear weapons, and private control
Data centers, SMRs, and community consent
Policy priorities for a future Democratic majority
AOC's potential run and closing remarks
Outro and sponsors: Sierra and Town Appliances
Listen ad-free on Castria