Compiled by SPEAKIN’ OUT NEWS
Brenda Hampton has survived two heart attacks, a stroke, and kidney failure — and she believes the water in her North Alabama community is to blame.
“I know I’m facing death,” said Hampton. “No one knows the time or the hour, but I know these chemicals are deadly. And there is really nothing that man can do.”
Hampton, founder of Concerned Citizens of North Alabama, is one of four people featured in the newly released book Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America, published by Island Press. The book documents how communities across the country have been affected by PFAS — toxic compounds known as “forever chemicals” for their persistence in the environment.
Hampton, who lives in Lawrence County near the Tennessee River and its industrial corridor, began noticing a disturbing trend: neighbors battling kidney issues, cancer, and other serious illnesses. As she dealt with her own failing health, doctors traced her illness back to industrial toxins — which she eventually realized were coming from her drinking water.
PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are manmade chemicals used in products like nonstick cookware, waterproof fabrics, and firefighting foam. They are nearly impossible to break down and have been linked to cancer, reproductive issues, and other health problems — even in low doses. According to the CDC, nearly all Americans have PFAS in their blood.
Hampton has spent years fighting to protect her community and bring attention to the crisis. Since 2015, she has pushed for cleaner water and access to medical resources. In 2021, those efforts helped bring a reverse osmosis water treatment plant to the West Morgan East Lawrence Water Authority, significantly improving local water quality.
Her work has earned national attention. In 2019, Hampton was named one of Alabama Media Group’s Women Who Shape the State, and she continues to speak at conferences across the country.
Co-author Sharon Udasin, an environmental journalist with The Hill, said each story in Poisoning the Well illustrates a different way Americans are exposed to PFAS. Hampton’s represents the widespread contamination from industrial facilities — including 3M’s plant near Decatur, which is currently phasing out PFAS production and agreed last year to a $10 billion national settlement over water contamination claims.
“These are not politicians,” Udasin said. “They’re regular people who raised their voices and exposed a problem in their communities.”
Hampton said she feels hopeful that change is finally coming.
“If your state has had any type of industry, you’ve likely had PFAS contamination,” she said. “I’m glad to see this progress in my lifetime — and I hope that after I’m gone, there will be even more improvement.”