Get an overview of key considerations for how residents and local municipalities can work w/existing zoning/permitting laws, advocate for protective laws, and tips and strategies to read these laws with a lawyer's lens.
Register @
www.fairshake-els.org/events/tlal-...

The Great Ohio Climate March Third Act elders and partners marching in support of climate solutions.

We wanted to highlight the work that @thirdactoh.bsky.social is doing to organize The Great Ohio Climate March, raising awareness of environmental issues affecting Ohioans.

Learn more at: greatohioclimatemarch.org

Check out our recent blog post written by intern Sylas Yarad about rezoning! Learn more about the steps in the rezoning process and how your participation can make an impact.

www.fairshake-els.org/blog/2026/1/...

Happy Black History Month! Check out our blog post honoring Black leaders in the environmental justice movement, diving into principles of EJ and resources, and sharing our new Black History Month zine which includes a kids coloring page!

www.fairshake-els.org/blog/2026/ce...

Join WV Rivers for a virtual Advocacy Training Session 1/29 at 7p ET w/Policy Specialist Maria Russo + Community Engagement Manager Carrie Decker to get grounded in basics of the WV Legislature and walk through how to meet with your legislators
Register: us06web.zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: LPL January Democracy Conversation . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting. Local governments are increasingly navigating heightened polarization, threats, and moments of democratic tension. What role can local leaders play in de-escalating conflict and preventing political…

Sharing this upcoming event from @civicleague.bsky.social Local Policy Lab on 1/22 at 12p EST for their January Democracy Conversation on local government's role in conflict de-escalation and violence prevention.

Register here: rb.gy/es9n30

We are one week out from our first Thinking Like a Lawyer series, Navigating Bureaucracy, on Thurs 1/15 12-1:30! Join us to discuss and workshop through:
Why we should bother with “the bureaucracy”;
Where in the process your goals and issues are, and more!
Register:
www.fairshake-els.org/events

Black Mothers, Black Babies Environmental Racism & Reproductive Justice Stories of Birth, Breath, and the Burden of a Poisoned Land

Highlighting this recent ep by BLAC - an important conversation around reproductive justice and environmental racism with speaker Staysha Quentrill, discussing how environmental racism fuels maternal and infant health inequities.

Listen here:
blackappalachiancoalition.substack.com/p/black-moth...

Join this webinar on Tues 12/16 2pET with the Initiative for Energy Justice to hear lessons learned from when the federal government tried to integrate community benefits into clean energy funding

Register here: events.teams.microsoft.com/event/81b60a...

Sharing this upcoming educational webinar about rail safety regulations, grassroots organizing strategies, and how to turn your concerns into effective action before a disaster happens.

12/4 12p ET

www.facebook.com/events/s/com...

Key to the City: How Zoning Shapes Our World

Join this conversation regarding zoning with Partnership for Southern Equity on 12/10 1-2p ET to learn more about the connections between zoning, community wellbeing, and justice.

Register here: events.zoom.us/ev/ArLgoTiwF...

Fighting Forever Chemicals: What’s being done about it in our communities MARTINSBURG - For years, residents across the Eastern Panhandle have turned on their taps with little thought about what might be flowing through the pipes. But the recent detection of

Interesting article from Tom Markland at The Journal WV regarding action taken against PFAS in WV communities.

Read here: www.journal-news.net/news/environ...

Webinar: Reproductive Health Preparedness in Climate Emergencies Join the Center for Biological Diversity on Monday, November 17 for a webinar with community leaders about how to protect reproductive health during climate emergencies.

We wanted to share an upcoming webinar from @biologicaldiversity.org regarding protecting reproductive health during disasters: Mon Nov 17 at 2p ET.

Learn about the Sexual Health Emergency Preparedness (SHEP) Kits that they have developed.

Register here: act.biologicaldiversity.org/9MkbBur8f0Sq...

Check out this article from Steven Cohen at DC News Now regarding PFAS contamination in WV waterways:

www.dcnewsnow.com/news/local-n...

Sharing this webinar from Buckeye Environmental Network, Ohio River Valley Institute, and @fieldnotes.co on Thu 11/6 6p EST about the push by the oil & gas industry to fast-track carbon capture + storage development in Ohio. Ohio HB 170 will be examined as well.

Register here: bit.ly/new-wild-west

The world around us: How does our environment affect our mental health? — Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services Have you ever gone for a walk outside, heard the birds, and felt it clear your mind? Even lift your mood? There's a reason why people say they need to "get outside" – our surroundings have a profound…

Check out this blog post from our current intern, Sylas Yarad, on how our environment affects our mental health, and what you can do on both an individual and community level.

www.fairshake-els.org/blog/2025/10...

We wanted to share some resources on data centers:

Here you can watch some videos as well as review a model ordinance based on PA and northern VA ordinances:
www.pennfuture.org/datacenters

Learn about the energy expenditure and importance of policy here:
reimagineappalachia.org/is-responsib...

Next week, we are shining a spotlight on our successes for environmental justice! Please join us on Thursday, October 9th for an evening of live jazz with Jessica Lee Jazz & Blues, good food and good company at our Annual Benefit, Justice Grows with Fair Shake:
www.fairshake-els.org/events/justi...

TONIGHT! Join us for Why Courts Matter: How Our Judicial System Helps Protect Our Environment from 6–7 PM:

action.conservationpa.org/a/why-courts...

Solar Strategies for Local Governments

WHEN:

Thursday, October 9, 12:00 PM - 1:15 PM

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Municipal staff
Local elected officials
Sustainability professionals
Other stakeholders

Registration link: sustainablepittsburgh.my.salesforce-sites.com/events/CnP_P...

Sharing this youth civic engagement survey being conducted at Pitt: pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Why Courts Matter: How our judicial system protects our environment Join us for an informative and engaging event designed for everyday residents who want to better understand how our courts shape our communities – and how the judicial system can be a tool for…

PA’s courts play a huge role in protecting our environment + democracy.
Want to learn how? Join us on 9/25 at 6p on Zoom:
✅ How courts work
✅ Why judges matter for clean air, water, and voting rights
✅ What a retention election is and how they work
RSVP:

Please join WV Department of Environmental Protection and West Virginia Rivers Coalition at these upcoming meetings in the Eastern Panhandle to discuss an action plan for safer water from PFAS contaminants.

See FB or Insta posts for links to each event on social media.

Hearing on Orchard Park dispute set for spring The dispute between the city and a community group over the fate of Orchard Park in Logantown seems likely to extend for at least several more months, after a pre-trial conference Thursday at which…

Thanks to Altoona Mirror staff writer William Kibler for covering continued updates on the Friends of Little Orchard Park case. We look forward to continuing the fight to protect this community resource in the spring!

www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-n...

This year, we are shining a spotlight on our successes for environmental justice! Please join us on Thursday, October 9th for an evening of live jazz, good food and company at our Annual Benefit, Justice Grows with Fair Shake

www.fairshake-els.org/events/justi...

Lawsuit by Friends of Little Orchard Park to head to court A Blair County judge Monday overruled the city’s preliminary objections to a lawsuit by a neighborhood group that seeks to keep the city from building homes on Orchard Park in Logantown — setting up a...

A case win posted in The Altoona Mirror by staff writer William Kibler features our attorneys Tim Fitchett, Erin Brind’Amour, and our ED, Michael Parker who are representing Friends of Little Orchard Park to keep the public park free from housing development:

www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-n...

TOMORROW! Join Fair Shake and Ohio River Valley Institute 7/28 from 12-1:30 to learn tips to protect yourself against SLAPP suits. No-cost legal clinic will follow in Aug

Register at www.fairshake-els.org/events

Also see our blog post, 'A Win for Ohio: Legislation Fights Back Against SLAPP Suits'!

Join Fair Shake and Ohio River Valley Institute 7/28 12-1:30 to learn legal rights and how to shift your language to protect against SLAPP suits. No-cost legal clinic w/focus on PA, OH, and WV will follow the webinar in Aug.

Register at www.fairshake-els.org/events!

New related blog post is up

Check out our blog about Fair Shake's role in the recent Pittsburgh Water Referendum to keep city water public. It was an honor to work with Pittsburgh United and UpstreamPgh to change the system! 🚰

www.fairshake-els.org/blog/2025/7/...

Sun’s out, kids are out — but is your soil safe? 🌱☀️

Join Allegheny Conservation District and Grow Pittsburgh for FREE lead soil testing and enjoy peace of mind while your kids play outdoors! #LeadSafeYards