VALLEY SO LOW One Lawyer's Fight for Justice in the Wake of America's Great Coal Catastrophe

The story of workers who are fighting for a settlement to pay their medical bills after exposure to coal ash begins with a phone call. Lee Osorio captures the urgency that sent a worker out to clean up a "black wave" of toxic slurry after a partial dike collapse. Osorio increases the tension as revelations spring from a lawyer's study of coal ash's effects. He slows down to emphasize the workers' health concerns and captures the tension felt by the lawyer and his wife as they worry about when the settlement will take place. Even a "document dump" that sends lawyers sifting through piles of papers sounds dramatic. When the case finally reaches court, Osorio creates excitement over moments of triumph. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2025, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2025]