By Theodora Filis Who is Joanne Branham and why is she involved in a complex and high stake environmental trial that began Monday in Philadelphia? The Branham case is the first of 31 related cases from picturesque McCollum Lake, in McHenry County, making their way through the Philadelphia court system. The US government passed the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) in 1970 to help protect the environment from public and private actions such as corporate pollution. The Environmental Quality Improvement Act as well as the Environmental Education Act and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are other measures taken by the federal government to ensure the protection of the environment and the quality of water and air. If all these agencies have been set up to protect our environment, and by association, us, why is Joanne in court? Her husband, Frank, was 63 when he died of a glioblastoma brain tumor in 2004. He was a longtime resident of McCollum Lake Villa
It is imperative we all pay attention to the impact of our collective and personal actions on the environment. During the next decade, our global community will be unable to deal effectively with the formidable environmental challenges posed by decades of environmental mismanagement. There are many environmental issues I write about in this blog, some will scare you, and it is my hope, these articles will give you a reason to question and search for answers.