Need Our Water: Cathy Wusterbarth a member of ”NOW” (Need Our Water) citizens group, addresses the ground water issue with contaminated chemicals in Oscoda.

Hello, I’m Cathy Wusterbarth.  I live in Oscoda where I was raised by my parents, former Oscoda High School educators Tom and Mary Coulon. 

Hopefully by now you’ve heard that large plumes of groundwater under and around the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base are contaminated with chemicals, PFOS and PFOA, once used to put out fires. A year ago, the District Health Department encouraged Oscoda residents to form a citizens group as a way for residents to collectively voice their questions and concerns about these chemicals in their water. We did this, forming an action group called NOW which stands for Need Our Water.  I am the co-leader of that group.

This week we learned that federal government including the EPA, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Management and Budget are withholding information in a study conducted by a branch of the CDC.  E-mails between those agencies said releasing the information would cause a “public relations nightmare” because the level of PFAS the EPA currently says is safe is probably 6 times to high!  Our government knowingly suppressed information critical to safeguarding our health, the health of our children, the health of pregnant women, because it would make the government look bad.   

Is it any wonder we don’t blindly trust what our government is telling us, especially in Michigan?  Is it any wonder why nearly everyone who learns that the government did this says they’re not surprised?  We have been deceived once again.  And today, three days after learning about this suppressed study IT STILL HAS NOT BEEN RELEASED.  We DEMAND our government do right by us and release that report TODAY!