David McCumber’s report on the dedicated and consequential reporting by former Daily Star reporter Jane Kay regarding TCE contamination of drinking water on Tucson’s south side was truly impressive and inspiring. The description of Ms. Kay speaking with over 500 people living in areas with elevated levels of illnesses tied to TCE summoned images from the movie “Erin Brockovich,” which dramatized a similar, true story in Hinkley, California. Both cases resulted in successful class-action lawsuits by families of the victims.
In a year-end report this week, the New York Times reported that the Trump administration has “dismantled a wide range of climate and pollution regulations,” including rolling back deadlines for water utilities to remove two types of “forever chemicals” from drinking water and rolling back limits on four related chemicals.
Imagine Kay and Brockovich proving that industries had polluted drinking water with carcinogenic chemicals and industry officials responding, “So what? It’s not illegal. Trump eliminated the regulations.”
Brooks Keenan
Oro Valley
Disclaimer: As submitted to the Arizona Daily Star.
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