When I started this job on October 21, 2022, I never thought within a few months Clean Water Action Minnesota would be receiving global attention for leading the charge against toxic PFAS in water.
I am grateful for the powerhouse legislators who partnered with us, the brave testifiers who told their stories, and for all of you who support us by taking action and with financial gifts.
We had countless long nights sitting in committee hearings, watching floor debates, preparing for testimony, and connecting with the young people who were vulnerably sharing their stories to help make change. We researched, we met with stakeholders, we lost sleep, we worked - no - we FOUGHT to protect Minnesota’s water!
Read Ben’s story | Read Derek’s story | Read Amara’s story
We fought off attacks from high paid lobbyists, who flew in from around the country, to represent industry’s interests at the sake of our water and our health. They argued that corporate profits should be put above Minnesotans and we refused to let that message win. And it didn't. WE won, passing the nation's strongest PFAS legislation, and several other critical policies to protect the state we love.
While we are so proud of the work we’ve been doing to build relationships with stakeholders and to help lawmakers understand the dangers PFAS pose to our water, we aren’t done yet. We already have a solid PFAS agenda for next year. This includes:
- Creating access to medical monitoring for those exposed to PFAS.
- Requiring property owners to test and notify renters of elevated PFAS levels in the water.
- Ensuring not only homeowners are notified when the state discovers elevated levels of PFAS in the water, but also the home’s residents.
- Tackling the presence of PFAS in agricultural settings in order to protect farmers, their families, and our food supply.
Again, we need your help to do this work. The legislature has shown they are prepared to take swift and decisive action, and we are prepared to lead the way for meaningful change.
Watch the May 9th press conference declaring victory on PFAS legislation.
Read the May 23rd press release about PFAS legislation passing the Minnesota legislature.
And finally, join us as we take the next steps in fighting - and winning - for MInnesota's waters by making a special gift today. We are motivated and energized and ready to keep this movement going!
