Read the full article by Will Atwater (North Carolina Health News)
“Vickie Mullins recalls a traumatic moment in her 8-year-old grandson’s life.
She said the family, who live in Cumberland County’s Cedar Creek Township, near the Bladen County line, were visiting relatives in the mountains last summer when her grandson saw something that caused a visceral reaction. Mullins said that when his older brother grabbed a glass and went to the sink to fill it with water, the younger brother lost it.
‘All of a sudden, he starts yelling, ‘Don’t turn on that water!’’ Mullins said. ‘He was screaming, ‘You know we’re not allowed to drink water from a spigot!’’
Mullins said she was crying as she bent down, hugged him and told him: ‘This is how normal people live.’
Living under the shadow of contamination from per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — also known as PFAS or ‘forever chemicals’ — has robbed Mullins’ grandchildren of some of life’s simple pleasures.” …