Judy Pasternak

About the Author

Judy Pasternak is an acclaimed investigative journalist whose career spans decades at major outlets like the Los Angeles Times, where she earned a Pulitzer Prize for national reporting. Her work delves into the intersections of environment, government policy, and marginalized communities, exposing systemic injustices with unflinching rigor. In her seminal book, Yellow Dirt: A Poisoned Land and the Betrayal of the Navajos, Pasternak chronicles the devastating legacy of uranium mining on Navajo lands during the Cold War era, revealing how federal negligence and corporate greed led to widespread contamination and health crises among the Navajo people. Through meticulous research and compelling narratives, she amplifies voices often overlooked, advocating for accountability and environmental justice in her poignant storytelling.