Something in the Water

This month, the Minnesota Reformer published "There Must Be Something in the Water," a two-part series on 3M (a company that operates in the fields of science, technology, and public health). The series covered chemical contamination in the waters of Minnesota that may have led to high cancer rates in communities like Oakdale, MN. While it is difficult to positively link each specific diagnosis to 3M's chemical waste, the connections are impossible to ignore. The Minnesota Reformer series focused on the pediatric impacts of the environmental catastrophe. They learned that at Oakdale's Tartan High School, students often said, “Don’t drink the 3M cancer water.” Current and former young Oakdale residents like Amara Strande, age 20, are battling rare cancers, suffering through multiple surgeries and facing life-altering diagnoses. There are numerous ways for "forever chemicals" (a common term for the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances referenced in this case) to seep into our environment, drinking water, and bodies. What can we do to protect our communities and our planet?