Sandy Wynn-Stelt moved to Belmont, Michigan in 1992 with her husband Joel. In the interview she discusses her husband's death from liver cancer and the presence of high levels of PFAS in their water. Sandy is now an activist working through legal and…

Cathy Wustarbarth is from Oscoda, Michigan, on the coast of Lake Huron. In this interview, Cathy discusses her exposure to PFAS and its impact on her health. Wusterbarth has also been actively involved with the Oscoda Citizens for Clean Water,…

Karen Vorce is a geologist who lives in Walker, Michigan and works for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy in the Remediation Redevelopment Division. In this interview, Karen discusses her work with PFAS contamination…

Wendy Thomas grew up in Fairfield, Connecticut and now resides in Merrimack, New Hampshire with her husband and six children. After her concerns and advocacy over PFAS grew, Wendy was elected to the New Hampshire State House of Representatives, where…

Brian Steglitz moved to Michigan in the late 1990s and currently lives in Ann Arbor. Brian is the manager of the city's water treatment services. In the interview, Steglitz discusses work and response to the presence of PFAS contaminants in the…

Tony Spaniola resides in southeast Michigan, but maintains a second home in Oscoda, Michigan near the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base. The base was first recorded to have PFAS contamination in 2010, though Tony did not learn of it until reading about…

Tom Sapkowski grew up on the west side of Grand Rapids, Michigan and currently lives in nearby Belmont. After learning of PFAS contamination through the media, Tom paid to have his well water tested. It was found to have low levels. However, his…

Linda Robles lives in in Tuscon, Arizona within the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. In this interview, Robles discusses how PFAS contamination touched her family and community, as well as her activism with the Mothers Safe Water Force and Environmental…

Dr. Rick Rediski is a professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Robert Annis Water Research Institute at Grand Valley State University and has lived in West Michigan since around 1980. In this interview, Dr. Rediski discusses is involvement…

Ocean Priselac grew up in a military family and has lived in many locations across the United States, including Wilmington and Carolina Beach, North Carolina. In this interview, Ocean discusses her experiences and exposures to PFAS contamination and…

Gary Pettyjohn grew up in Grayling, Michigan before moving to the southeast region of the state. His experiences with PFAS in his community center around the Wurstmuth Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan. After learning about the contamination in…

Dr. Graham Peaslee is a professor at the University of Notre Dame. He began his career in nuclear physics and chemistry and now studies environmental issues. In this interview, he discusses his work identifying and measuring PFAS chemicals used in…

Jon Miner has lived in the Rockford, Michigan area since 1991, and is on the Rockford Planning Commission. In his interview, he discusses living near the Wolverine Worldwide factory and worrying about contamination of the local environment by tannery…

Peggy Merrill moved to the Grand Rapids area since the 1990s. In this interview, she discusses the discovery of PFAS in the water at the home of her brother, who passed away from liver cancer in 2017.

Tobyn McNaughton was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan and now lives in Belmont, Michigan. In this interview, Tobyn discusses how the McNaughton family learned about the PFAS present in their home's well water in 2017 and the impact it has…

Michael McIntosh shares his experiences organizing community action around PFAS contamination in Rockford, Michigan, from grassroots advocacy to ongoing work with the Wolverine Community Advisory Group.

Lynn McIntosh grew up on the east coast but has lived in Rockford, Michigan for about 30 years. Lynn noticed foam and filmy substance in the river in about 2010, and began taking photos of the contamination. In this interview, McIntosh discusses her…

Beth Markesino lives in Wilmington, North Carolina and is an avid runner. In her interview, she discusses the impact PFAS contamination has had on her life and health, and that of her son Samuel.

Sue and Mark Scott lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan for many years before moving to South Haven, Michigan. In their interview, they discuss their knowledge of the groundwater contamination in Kalamazoo and its effects on their health and community.

Gail Mancewicz lives in Rockford, Michigan. In this interview, Mancewicz discusses the demolition of the old Wolverine tannery and the environmental and public health impact on the community.

In this interview, Dani and Colleen discussed Colleen's research on PFAS in Michigan, focusing on how private well users and communities respond to water safety issues. Colleen's research also led her to reconsider her grandfather's experience with…

Tom Konecsni is a resident of Rockford, Michigan. After observing a building demolition in 2010, Tom became concerned about the environmental impacts of industry and chemicals in the area. He joined the Concerned Citizens Group. In the interview, he…

Elaine Isely is the Director of Water Programs at the West Michigan Environmental Action Council (WMEAC). She grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, but has been a resident of Grand Rapids for more than 20 years. In her interview she discusses …

Abby Hendershott is originally from Bay City, Michigan and now lives in Rockford, Michigan. In this interview, Abby discusses her work as a District Supervisor in relation to the PFAS water contamination at former Wolverine dumping sites.