The sweet waters of the Tennessee River, like so many other bodies of water, are under attack. Capitalistic corruption and pollution is an entire pandemic of it’s own. 

The Tennessee River has been terribly contaminated with pfas, also known as “forever chemicals,” because 3M, whose facility lies along the riverbank, has damaged the Tennessee River, the wildlife surrounding it, the soil and water system in Decatur, AL and beyond. Ironically, Decatur, AL is known as The River City.

The official reports stated that within 7-9 miles of 3M, the soil is so contaminated that 1) Pregnant women should not eat food they grow in their own backyard and 2) eggs from chickens raised in that radius are contaminated and shouldn’t be consumed by pregnant women, This indicates a very, very dangerous level of pfas presence, which can have serious adverse affects on anyone being consistently exposed to these chemicals, including fetuses. 

The first case regarding pfas in Decatur. AL was in 2002!!! These chemicals have been knowingly accumulating for at least 20 years and residents have been exposed to them all this time. Prolonged exposure to such chemicals cause a build up of them in both the environment and in the body, as they accumulate in the major organs and overtime, affect the health and function of the organs and subsequently the entire bodily system. They are called "forever chemicals" bcasue they quickly and easily build up and are extremely difficult to break down. They are also water resistant.

Decatur City & Morgan County received a 98 million dollar settlement (which freed 3M of accountability) for the pfas being dumped in our precious river. How is Decatur using this money to provide the necessary resources to protect its residence from further harm and help reverse the harm already done? So far, only by saying “oops," giving them $400- $1000 each, awhich waives their rights to sue and seek further retribution for these crimes against humanity and the environment, putting minimal effort into correcting the issue, and even less effort into protecting the people from the adverse effects of these chemicals. They've also been renovating Decatur, adding new infrastructure like...  new hotels & parking lots??? Residents are ill-informed of what is actually happening. Decatur City & Morgan County are failing their residents by not properly informing them of how big of an issue this actually is. It is also very concerning that this has been known for 20 years, and in my 20 years of life I heard nothing of it until recently.

If Decatur & Morgan County invested just half of that 98 million into advanced filtration systems, restoration efforts, and research, solutions could be found! If Decatur City & Morgan County held 3M accountable, we would have much more to work with. Excusing them of accountability and using the settlement money for fruitless pursuits is nothing short of evil.

Why aren’t Decatur & Morgan County residents fully aware of the pfa reports and the dangers therein? In areas of the country where there is a pfa contamination such as the one in Decatur, SERIOUS health defects and damages to the major organ systems are very clearly shown to be rampant in the residents at rates and levels much higher than places without such contamination! Reproductive, birth and developmental defects in women and babies, thyroid & liver damage, hormonal disruptions,and significantly weakened immune systems, are just a few of the serious adverse effects. How is that being addressed with parking lots and hotels?

If you are in Decatur/Morgan County, please please please get a filtration system installed in your home! From my research the two types of systems that can effectively filter out pfas are Reverse Osmosis and Granular Activated Carbon filters! Do your research. Use your voice!

Please sign this petition to hold Decatur City, Morgan County, and 3M accountable for this gross disservice to the environment and to the residents of Decatur & Morgan County. Let's restore our river and home!