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The 2000 film “Erin Brockovich” seemed like a successful David versus Goliath story. A single mom of three took on PG&E for contaminating drinking water in Hinkley, California, and came out victorious, suing and winning $333 million from the giant utility company. But whatever became of the tiny town?

For the roughly 600 residents who received part of that payout, the ending wasn’t all happy. Residents who lived there in the ‘90s, such as Roberta Walker, say they suffer from residual health problems. And while they can’t disclose how much money they received from the lawsuit, they say it wasn’t enough to keep them afloat for long. Now, 21 years after the lawsuit, it seems the same public health hazard continues to affect the welfare of Hinkley residents.

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Débora Silva is a Brazilian reporter and filmmaker based in California. She started her career as an on-air reporter and producer at a news station in São Paulo. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Universidade Cruzeiro do Sul and a master’s degree in television from The University of California, Berkeley. Her thesis film, “A New Rhythm for Mozambique,” was awarded “best short length documentary” at the 2016 Silicon Valley African Film Festival. Silva was selected as a National Association of Black Journalists fellow for The New York Times Institute Fellowship program in New Orleans. Her work has appeared on KQED, Fusion, Univision, PBS, BBC and Al Jazeera.