The HEAR database aims to increase and diversify the legal, scientific, medical and technical expertise available to community groups with environmental and public health concerns.

Residents of communities across New England frequently call our organizations seeking assistance with their work confronting environmental hazards. Sometimes we can handle the questions ourselves, but often we have to look outside our own organizations for help. The HEAR database serves the Environmental Justice Assistance Network (EJAN), a collaboration among Alternatives for Community & Environment (ACE), Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) and Slingshot. Together, we work to link environmental justice communities with legal, scientific, and technical experts who can assist with advocacy, research, and public health needs. This kind of assistance, and in some cases partnership, is absolutely essential to our work and the services we provide community groups.

Do you have expertise you can share? Sign up today and join a network of scientists, lawyers and other environmental experts committed to assisting residents in building a cleaner, healthier environment.

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Read our success stories or See award winners

Success Stories

We have been connecting communities with experts for over a decade to improve and protect our public health and environment. Read on to see how it works.

Stopping ethanol trains in Greater Boston, Massachusetts

In 2013, residents in East Boston, Chelsea and Revere prevented the transport of millions of gallons of ethanol by rail through over 90 towns and cities in Massachusetts. Ethanol is a highly flammable and dangerous substance and its transport presents a major threat, especially to densely populated cities like East Boston, Chelsea and Revere, which are already overburdened by environmental hazards and are lacking the resources necessary to be prepared to respond to an ethanol disaster. Led by the Chelsea Creek Action Group and with support from ACE legal staff, residents launched a three-year campaign that combined organizing and legal assistance to stop the trains. In response, the $17.6 billion corporation withdrew the proposal and the governor passed a three-year moratorium on the transport of ethanol by train through Greater Boston.
Responding to Community Concerns about Air Quality in New Bedford, Massachusetts

The New Bedford Harbor is one of the nation’s largest and most contaminated Superfund sites. Community Action Works works in partnership with the Boston University Superfund Research Program (BUSRP) and ACE to respond to community concerns related to PCB contamination and air quality in New Bedford, support an air monitoring study of outdoor concentrations of PCBs in ambient air, and build community leadership and organizing capacity. Community Action Works has worked closely with Hands Across the River Coalition (HARC), the group leading efforts to clean up the harbor, to identify incremental campaign goals, build relationships with other local organizations, increase the group’s impact and identify other goals for environmental justice in New Bedford. In the air quality monitoring study, Community Action Works took the lead on identifying and communicating with the monitor hosts to increase their engagement and grow HARC’s core leadership group along with setting up hosts to utilize weather logs and run trainings on messaging and materials development. With ACE providing legal support and BUSRP coordinating scientific expertise, our work in the New Bedford Harbor has helped residents build a campaign for a safe, healthy environment.

Awardees

The Science for the Benefit of Environmental Health Award (“The Dick Clapp Award”) is presented to a scientist or environmental health professional for exceptional work in advancing public and environmental health.

2020

Nathan Phillips, PhD, is a Professor of Earth and Environment at Boston University. He was awarded for his non-violent protest in response to the ongoing construction of the Weymouth Compressor Station in Weymouth, MA.The Weymouth compressor station is being built as part of the expansion of a natural gas pipeline from the Northeastern States to Nova Scotia. Once built, Weymouth will be the most densely populated county in Massachusetts to house a compressor station, posing a health and safety risk to the community from fugitive and non-routine emissions (i.e., leaks and blowdowns). After actively engaging with the community over several years to oppose the construction of the compressor station, Dr. Phillips went on a two-week hunger strike in solidarity with local residents, to protest the public health and safety violations during pre-construction clean-up of the site. His three demands were: decontaminate the clean-up trucks leaving the site, test old burner bricks for asbestos, and install permanent air monitors near the site. Dr. Phillips ended his hunger strike on February 11th. The only demand to have gone into effect was the installation of an air monitor and temporary air monitoring by the Massachusetts Department of Health. His Science for the Benefit of Environmental Health award was given to celebrate his courage and commitment to advocate for Environmental Justice and protect public health.
2019

Bindu Panikkar, PhD, is an Assistant Professor for the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont. She was awarded for her exceptional work on engaging with Merrimack Citizens for Clean Water to understand local responses to per and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAFS) contamination in public water and well water supplies in Merrimack, NH. Bindu studies environmental threats and works to uplift community voices to combat environmental injustices.
2018

Lindsey Carmichael, is an environmental health educator and advocate. She was awarded for her work to stop her community's PFAS exposure from the Pease International Airforce Base in New Hampshire. This includes working as a member of the Community Assistance Panel convened by the US Agency for Toxics Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) on health studies due to exposure to PFAS in drinking water, and strengthening the engagement of affected communities. She has also been a member of New Hampshire Safe Water Alliance, working to strengthen drinking water and chemical regulations in New Hampshire.

See all awardees

Contact Us

The HEAR database is a collaboration of the following organizations:

Alternatives for Community & Environment
ACE works to build the power of communities of color and low-income communities in Massachusetts to eradicate environmental racism and classism, create healthy, sustainable communities, and achieve environmental justice. Contact: Denise January.
Boston University School of Public Health
The mission of the Boston University School of Public Health is to improve the health and well-being of populations worldwide, particularly the underserved, through excellence and innovation in education, research, and practice. Contact: Madeleine K. Scammell.
Conservation Law Foundation
CLF protects New England’s environment for the benefit of all people. We use the law, science, and the market to create solutions that preserve our natural resources, build healthy communities, and sustain a vibrant economy. Contact: Heather Thomas
Slingshot
At Slingshot, we work alongside communities most impacted by environmental threats to take aim at polluters and build community power. When communities facing a threat reach out, our experienced team of community organizers supports them through achieving the change they want. We show up and organize with compassion, humility, fierce love, and joy to build a more just world. Contact: Stephen O'Neill

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