Kristina covers environmental health and justice issues in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.
Prior to joining EHN, Kristina covered issues related to environmental and social justice as a freelancer for a wide range of digital media outlets including the Washington Post, Slate, Vice, Women's Health, MTV News, The Advocate, and Bustle. She is the co-president and co-founder of the Pittsburgh chapter of the Association of LGBTQ Journalists.
She lives in Pittsburgh, where she spends much of her free time kayaking the city's iconic three rivers, consuming coffee and eating adventurously.
Reach her at kmarusic@ehn.org
Why the air was unsafe to breathe and reeked of "hospital waste" in a Pennsylvania community this Christmas
PITTSBURGH—Residents of the Mon Valley, a cluster of townships along the Monongahela River 20 miles south of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, endured some of the stinkiest and most polluted air in the nation this Christmas.
PITTSBURGH — The attorneys who brought a class action lawsuit against U.S. Steel on behalf of residents of Clairton, Pennsylvania, recently announced a proposed settlement—but some residents and community advocates don't feel justice is being served.
Update: Two free legal clinics will be held in Clairton to provide critical information and 1-on-1 time with an attorney for residents who may be included in the proposed settlement.
PITTSBURGH—Do you smell that?
PITTSBURGH—On Wednesday afternoon, President Donald Trump spoke in support of fracking at the Shale Insight Convention here, where he praised the industry for creating jobs and giving America "energy independence."
Some contaminants in Pittsburgh's drinking water—including disinfectant byproducts and industrial chemicals—are at unsafe levels and could contribute to the region's higher than average cancer rates, according to a new report.
Dangerous PFAS chemicals show up in the bodies of people who eat takeout, fast food, and pizza often at higher levels than in people who regularly cook at home, according to a new study.
Air pollution creates a high level of cancer risk for residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania, where at least 67 children have been diagnosed with rare cancers in some of the most heavily-fracked counties in the nation. And parents are demanding answers.
The climate beat, where you constantly pray that you're wrong—but rarely are.
The brain-harming metal is discharged directly into the river and carried to it on air currents. Some argue authorities are doing too little to stop both routes of pollution.
"The scary part is that most people who fish are not aware of these advisories although there are notices with fish and wildlife agencies"
EHN.org investigation finds regulatory push to discredit independent evidence of harm while favoring pro-industry science despite significant shortcomings.
"Texas claims to be very sympathetic to property rights. On the other hand, they support oil and gas. What this project has exposed is that these two priorities are not equal."
