Across the nation, hundreds of military sites have contaminated waterways with toxic “forever chemicals.” In part two of our series, special correspondent Megan Thompson reports on the potential health impacts of that toxic water and the veterans who fear it has made them sick. Read the Full Transcript
Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. Laura Barrón-López: Across the nation, hundreds of military sites have contaminated waterways with toxic forever chemicals. Last night we brought you the story of one Michigan community pressuring the Air Force to clean up the decades old contamination. Tonight, special correspondent Megan Thompson reports on the potential health impacts of that toxic water and the veterans who fear it has made them sick.
Craig Minor: Four, five, six, seven. Almost all the grandchildren. There’s Mitchell in the center.
Megan Thompson: Craig and Carrie Minor’s home in Cedarville, Ohio, is filled with family photos.
Carrie Minor: This is my favorite picture. Taylor’s holding Mitchell’s head up. And I just love that picture of all four of the kids.
Megan Thompson: Mitchell is the Miner’s third child, born in 1989 with severe disabilities.
Craig Minor: Mitchell had cerebral palsy and he had microcephaly major seizure disorders. He was completely a quadriplegic.
Megan Thompson: Carrie provided around the clock care for him until he died in 2020 at the age of 30. Craig Minor: He was a daddy’s boy. We loved him dearly. Megan Thompson: Doctors suggested a virus could have caused Mitchell’s disabilities. But a year before he died, Craig saw something on TV that made him think otherwise. Craig Minor: They were talking about contamination that all these bases through firefighter foam and Wordsmith’s name came up. Megan Thompson: Wurtsmith is in the former Air Force base in Oscoda, Michigan, where Craig was stationed for four years as a B52 bomber pilot. It’s also where the family lived when Carrie was pregnant with Mitchell. The base made headlines after widespread […]
How toxic water in northern Michigan is affecting military veterans and their families
