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Exposure Points Episode One

  • Writer: Ohio Valley Allies
    Ohio Valley Allies
  • 1 hour ago
  • 6 min read

Chemicals | Control | Data


By Stuart Day | Exposure Points | September 2025

Our economy is built on extraction. From coal to oil and gas, from petrochemicals to greenwashed “renewables,” and now to the rise of AI-driven data centers, one pattern repeats: we take, we exploit, we entrench—leaving communities and ecosystems to bear the cost.

In the first episode of Exposure Points, we explore three current stories that expose this cycle: Chemours and the PFAS lawsuits, Pennsylvania’s HB 502, and the explosion of data centers.

The Chemours Case and the Legacy of DuPont

On August 8, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin issued an injunction against Chemours, ordering the company to halt unlawful discharges of PFAS into the Ohio River. In his words:

“This case is simple and all too familiar. For years, Defendant Chemours Company has discharged pollutants into the Ohio River. The level of discharge far exceeds the legal limits that bind Chemours. Those pollutants endanger the environment, aquatic life, and human health. Today, that unlawful, unpermitted discharge stops.”

The ruling came after a lawsuit filed by the West Virginia Rivers Coalition and the Little Hocking Water Association. Chemours has already signaled its intent to appeal, and a trial is set for September 16.

This case is not new—it’s part of a decades-long struggle that began with DuPont in Parkersburg, West Virginia. In the late 1990s, a cattle farmer named Wilbur Tennant saw his herd dying under mysterious circumstances. Along with a high school gym teacher, a local reporter, and attorney Rob Bilott, he exposed DuPont’s use of PFOA, or C-8, in making Teflon.

Internal documents revealed that DuPont had evidence of health risks but continued dumping waste into air, water, and land for decades. The 2017 settlement—$671 million split between DuPont and Chemours—was one of the largest environmental settlements in U.S. history. Yet production continued, with DuPont replacing C-8 with GenX and other short-chain PFAS compounds that carry similar risks.

Today, despite being found in violation of discharge permits, Chemours has been granted a new permit to expand its Washington Works facility. This contradiction—enforcement on paper, expansion in practice—captures the regulatory failures at the heart of the PFAS crisis.

Pennsylvania’s HB 502: The Erosion of Local Democracy

The second story brings us to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. House Bill 502 proposes a new state board to oversee siting of large-scale energy projects over 25 megawatts. Supporters argue it will speed up renewable development and prevent a surge in new natural gas plants.

But HB 502 does more than streamline—it strips municipalities and townships of their authority. Residential districts are carved out, but agricultural and rural communities remain vulnerable. These are the very communities that stand to lose farmland, water, and local autonomy to outside corporations.

The Pennsylvania Constitution’s Environmental Rights Amendment obligates the Commonwealth to act as trustee of natural resources for all people. Interpreted through the “Commonwealth” framework, that responsibility was designed to protect local authority, not override it. HB 502 undermines that principle.

As Professor Luke Kemp of Cambridge University has argued, democratic governance is essential for addressing the climate crisis. Centralizing decisions in Harrisburg may accelerate projects, but it does so at the cost of legitimacy and trust.

Data Centers: Digital Extraction

The third story looks to the horizon of AI. Data centers are multiplying across Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with Amazon alone announcing $20 billion in new investments. Nationally, they are projected to consume up to 12% of U.S. electricity by 2028—triple their current share.

These facilities don’t just devour power. They use millions of gallons of water daily for cooling, sprawl across valuable land, and release vast amounts of waste heat. Local communities already see higher electric bills because of the demand surge.

This isn’t innovation—it’s digital extraction. The model is physically unsustainable. You cannot endlessly expand power- and water-hungry infrastructure without destabilizing the very systems we depend on.

The Bigger Picture

PFAS lawsuits, HB 502, and data centers may seem like separate issues. But they share a through-line: extraction framed as progress.

For decades, communities have sounded alarms—only to be dismissed until the damage was undeniable. From PFAS to pesticides, from fracking to pipelines, from coral bleaching to greenhouse gases, environmentalists have consistently been ahead of the curve. History shows they’ve been right more often than not.

The question is whether we’re ready to listen this time.


Citations and Resources:

Segment 1 — Chemours / DuPont, PFAS, and the WV Rivers injunction

Segment 2 — Pennsylvania HB 502, local control, and ERA

Segment 3 — Data centers: power, water, siting in PA/WV

Shell Polymers Monaca (VOC permit context you reference)

Misc. WV permitting/expansion references (for your “still expanding” line)





Disclaimer:


      Exposure is an editorial and investigative journalism platform produced by Ohio Valley Allies. The views and opinions expressed by hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the organization or its affiliates.


      Our mission is to investigate and document the impacts of extractive industries—including oil, gas, petrochemicals, and plastics—through in-depth interviews, research, and storytelling. We aim to expose the truth behind these industries’ operations and consequences using good-faith inquiry, verified sources, and the protections afforded to journalists under the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.


      The content presented in this podcast is intended for informational, educational, and documentary purposes only. It should not be construed as legal advice, a call to action, or an endorsement of any specific viewpoint, protest, or organization.


      We do not knowingly publish false or defamatory statements. All claims are based on publicly available information, firsthand accounts, expert interviews, or journalistic analysis. Where allegations or critical claims are made, we strive to provide context and sourcing.


      We are committed to correcting material errors. If you believe a factual inaccuracy has occurred, please contact us at info@ohiovalleyallies.org for timely review and, if warranted, correction.


      While Exposure covers controversial and high-stakes topics, we do so as journalists seeking transparency, accountability, and the free exchange of ideas—not as advocates for any political party, protest strategy, or legal action.

 
 
 

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