Lisa DePaoli
Lisa (Coffield) DePaoli joined the CCJ staff in 2018 and is now our Communications Director. She grew up in rural Washington County, has family in both Washington and Greene Counties, and has always loved animals and spending time outdoors. A first-generation and nontraditional college student, her deep interest in human beings and ecology led her to earn a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2012. She has worked on research projects and taught at the university level in the U.S. and in field schools in Latin America. The knowledge and experience she gained increased her concern for environmental and social justice issues, which she believes are best addressed at the local level, or from the "bottom up," including the voices of those who are most impacted. Lisa works to understand issues from the local to the global, seeks to make a positive difference, and loves to talk to people about what interests or concerns them. In her free time, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family, furkids, and friends, and walking in the woods with her dogs.
Contact Lisa at lisa@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org.
Blog Posts by Lisa DePaoli
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 4, 2024Media Contact: Lisa DePaoli, lisa@centerforcoalfieldjustice.org, 412-229-7116 Cecil residents score a huge win: Increased setbacks for new well pads! Board of Supervisors applauded for prioritizing community’s health and well-being CECIL TOWNSHIP, PA – Tonight, after several hearings and years of community members’ working together and publicly raising their concerns, Cecil Township residents […]
Voting Rights Groups Respond to Decision In Washington County Court Over Disenfranchised Mail Voters
On Friday afternoon, the Washington County Court of Common Pleas ruled that the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the county board of elections to inform mail-in voters of any disqualifying errors on their mail-ballot packets when those errors are detected by the board. The court found that the constitution requires the board to provide that notice before the voter irretrievably loses the right to vote.
Washington, PA – Yesterday, CNX Resources released a statement with the ostentatious claim that there are no public health risks that result from their fracking operations — a claim based on just nine months of air quality data selected from two of their fourteen testing locations. This flies in the face of the fact that there are active complaints against them by residents of one of these very well sites at this time. Their release is also a weak argument against one of the many peer-reviewed studies done by qualified researchers in respectable universities that strongly suggest a range of health and environmental harms that occur due to fracking.
Washington, Pa. – Today, seven voters, the Center for Coalfield Justice (CCJ), and the Washington Branch NAACP filed a lawsuit against Washington County over the board of elections’ new policy to deliberately conceal information about which voters had made disqualifying errors on their mail-in ballot envelopes and to affirmatively mislead many voters into thinking their mail-in ballots would be counted.
Tonight, Cecil Township convened a public hearing at 6:00 PM to deliberate amendments to its Oil and Gas Ordinance. Community advocates and residents are rallying for increased setbacks beyond the proposed 1,000 feet, emphasizing the urgent need to enhance safety measures.
Critical details regarding the fire that consumed a three-story building owned and operated by Omnis Bailey LLC on May 20 remain unknown. The blaze sent thick black plumes of smoke over miles of Washington and Greene Counties, raising significant public health and safety concerns. Despite the gravity of the situation, neither Omnis Bailey nor CONSOL have provided clear information about the incident, particularly regarding the chemicals involved in the fire beyond diesel fuel.