Timeline: Erin's environmental activism

Jan 1, 1993

Erin becomes interested in the human nature of the medical cases and persuades Ed Masry to allow her to investigate further

Erin spends numerous hours examining these cases
and finds a link to between the community members of Hinkley, CA and a company by the name of Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E), who have a plant in Hinkley.

Jan 2, 1993

Erin drives to Hinkley

There she meets with housewife Donna Jensen, who explains that both she and her husband Peter are seriously ill and that PG&E, has been paying the family's medical bills as well as trying to buy their house.

Jan 3, 1993

Erin goes to University of California, Los Angeles to visit a professor

There she learns more about chromium

Jan 4, 1993

Erin goes to the Lahontan Regional Water Board

There she is able to browse through hundreds of old records.

Jan 5, 1993

Ed and Erin go to Hinkley to meet with other residents

They inform them that his firm will represent them against PG&E. If they win the case, his fee will be forty percent of whatever is awarded, but if they lose, his fee will be zero.

Jan 6, 1993

Erin interviews several other families with serious illnesses

She hopes to add more families to the claim.

Jan 7, 1993

Erin collects water samples around Hinkley

Jan 8, 1993

The judge claims in favour of the victims

Jan 9, 1993

Erin rejects PG&E's lawyers offer

Jan 10, 1993

Erin supports Ed while he tries to convice people to go to arbitration instead of trial

Jan 11, 1993

Ed and Erin attend a community picnic in Hinkley

They want to add more names to their growing list of four hundred and eleven plaintiffs

Jan 12, 1993

Erin stays in a nearby motel and goes door-to-door, seeking the additional signatures.

Jan 13, 1993

Erin meets Charles Embry

He tells Erin that he had work on the plant and that he have some important papers. These files should have been burnt, but he decided to keep them instead. He wants to cooperate with the cause.