Protecting the environment and public health while advancing equity and a better economic future.

We organize communities to participate in decisions that affect their health, environment and economy. 

 We conduct and support independent, evidence-based research to evaluate environmental and economic impacts, and to ensure public decision-making is informed by accurate data and sound science. 

We provide accurate, accessible, and science-based information to the public. 

We communicate honestly about risks, impacts, and alternatives to protect the environment and the economy. 

We advocate for policies and practices that advance environmental protection, justice, and human rights.  

We welcome your questions, ideas, and interest in our work. Reach out to learn more about our advocacy efforts, ways we can support your environmental concerns, and opportunities to get involved or volunteer. Click here to contact us.

Lea (Leatra) Harper received her graduate degree in Organization Development from Bowling Green State University and her undergraduate degree in Human Resources Management from the University of Toledo. Harper is a certified Success Unlimited Network life coach and author of Energetic Coaching; Being and Doing with Spirit. Harper has worked as adjunct faculty teaching business classes and has a corporate background as project manager for large government contracts. She has been a long-time environmental and child advocate and is currently the Managing Director for a statewide nonprofit, FreshWater Accountability Project, dedicated to protecting and preserving Ohio’s fresh air and water for future generations in the face of fracking, the planned petrochemical buildout on the Ohio River, and climate change.

Dr. Randi Pokladnik was born and raised in the Ohio Valley. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry and a PhD in Environmental Studies. Randi is a retired research chemist and teacher. Dr. Pokladnik is an active writer and a member of FaCT, a faith-based organization educating people about fracking and climate change. She is also a volunteer teacher for Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action and a volunteer for Save Ohio Parks. She has received several environmental awards, including the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition’s Fracktivist of the Year. Dr. Pokladnik has been an environmental activist in the Ohio River Valley for over 50 years. She resides with her husband in an eco-log home on Tappan Lake.

Kate Cutlip has resided in the Ohio Valley for over a decade, moving here in 2012 from Northern Virginia, where she was raised. Even as a child, Kate enjoyed nature and advocated to protect the environment. This lifelong passion led her to return to school and she earned her Bachelor of Science in Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology from West Liberty University in 2022. Interest in environmental remediation and applied microbiology led her to pursue a Master of Science in Biology at West Liberty University. Her thesis focuses on watershed management and the impacts of mine drainage on freshwater microbial communities and stream functionality. Hands-on work experience and education have assisted Kate in providing outreach and education to many residents about local water quality and environmental issues. Her passion to protect the environment is fueled by the interest and support of our local communities. The overwhelming desire for improvement is proof that change is possible.  

Brendan Muckian-Bates is a resident of Moundsville in Marshall County, West Virginia with family ties in the Ohio Valley dating back over a century. He moved to West Virginia in 2008 to attend West Virginia University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa in 2012, and going on to earn his MA in History and an MA in Secondary Education in 2014 and 2016, respectively. A former teacher, Brendan interwove aspects of environmental and social justice in his classroom. He now works as a policy advocate at the Appalachian Citizens' Law Center supporting the center's environmental justice work on issues ranging from flooding and climate disasters to coal miners' health and safety.

Dr. Yuri Gorby received his PhD in Microbiology in 1991 and is known for his pioneering research on enzymatic reduction of uranium and other heavy metals and radionuclides. As a research scientist with the US Geological Survey in Reston, VA and during his 15 years with the DOE National Lab located at the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Richland, WA, Dr. Gorby advanced the understanding of complex biogeochemical reactions that influence the fate and transport of radioactive materials in contaminated groundwater. More recently, Dr. Gorby served as the Howard N. Bitman Chair for Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York State where he educated students and colleagues on the environmental and human health effects of fracking and related industrial activities. Yuri is now a free-lance scientist helping communities advocate for better environmental and health protections.