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Environmentalist Erin Brockovich Discusses NC Water Contamination

Erin Brockovich speaks virtually from her home in California with WFDD's Keri Brown. Screenshot: KERI BROWN/WFDD

The local literary arts organization Bookmarks is hosting a virtual conversation with environmental activist and author Erin Brockovich. She will discuss her new book called Superman's Not Coming. It looks at several communities experiencing contamination from toxic chemicals and other substances and focuses on drinking water systems.

Brockovich says she gets a lot of emails and questions from people in the state about coal ash and other environmental concerns. There's a portion of her new book that is set in Camp Lejeune where residents were exposed to numerous contaminants in their drinking water.

She says the book is filled with inspiring stories and resources to help communities find out more about the quality of their drinking water. Those include various websites and information on how to request and analyze local water quality reports.

Knowledge is power,” says Brockovich. “It gives you some assurance, it gives you a little more confidence and it becomes a little bit contagious. Now I get this, what could I do further, and so it's about getting curious.”

The Bookmarks virtual conversation with Erin Brockovich on Tuesday, October 20 will be led by Wake Forest University professor Justin Catanoso.

*Follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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