BROOKLYN, N.Y.—InsideClimate News this week launched a campaign to raise funds for an innovative national-local reporting collaboration with the Arkansas Times that will investigate the causes and consequences of the Exxon pipeline spill in Mayflower, Ark. on Mar. 29. The campaign is being run on ioby.org, an innovative, non-profit crowdfunding platform.

"We are appealing to our readers to help crowdfund this effort and show that modest donations can have a cumulative impact to improve the public interest," said David Sassoon, publisher of InsideClimate News. "When legacy big media can't cover an important story like this one and give it the attention it deserves, citizens can still take ownership of the first amendment and make sure democracy's job gets done."

To make a fully tax-deductible donation, go to https://ioby.org/project/muckraking-mayflower-oil-spill

ExxonMobil and local officials have said all visible oil has been removed from the spill site and cleanup efforts have transitioned from "emergency" to "remediation." Lt. Gov. Mark Darr said recently that it looked like ExxonMobil had made the area better than it was before.

But 22 homes that were evacuated after the spill remain empty, and many questions remain.

ExxonMobil has yet to explain what caused the 22-foot-long gash in the pipeline, and no one knows how much oil was actually spilled. ExxonMobil's latest estimate is 147,000 gallons, while one lawsuit contends that 420,000 gallons escaped from the rupture.

The spilled oil includes toxic chemicals such as benzene, hydrogen sulfide and toluene—and dozens of area residents have complained of headaches, stomachaches, nasal bleeding and hives.