Non-profit findings show 8 additional toxic chemicals in water

MORGAN COUNTY, AL (WAFF) - A non-profit group, Warriors for Clean Water, released findings after conducting a test on the West Morgan-East Lawrence water supply.

According to Warriors for Clean Water, they contracted with Auburn University's School of Fisheries, Aquaculture, and Aquatic Sciences. WAFF 48 News was with Auburn researchers and Warriors for Clean Water leaders last October when they took samples in and around the Decatur area on the Tennessee River.

According to Warriors for Clean Water, these are the results of those samples.

Warriors for Clean Water added that Auburn's research team then sent the samples to an Environmental Protection Agency lab in Tennessee for testing.

We've called and emailed the EPA and Auburn University for a comment. We're still waiting to hear back.

According to the test results provided by Warriors for Clean Water, eight additional toxic chemicals were found.

The following chemicals were found:

• PFHS
• PFBS
• PFHeA
• PFDA
• PFBA
• PFPeA
• PFHA
• PFNA

Ronald Mixon of Warriors for Clean Water is happy all the facts are now on the table.

"As you go upstream, the numbers diminish. They diminish greatly. But they're still there," said Mixon.

On Wednesday Mixon signed over the study's results to a law firm representing the West Morgan-East Lawrence Water authority to use in their lawsuit against manufacturing company 3M.

"We're not suing, now the East Lawrence-West Morgan is, because they have a legitimate claim. Ours is to fix the water," added Mixon.

Mixon said Auburn scientists were not satisfied with their results from last month, so they sent samples to EPA labs in Tennessee for more precise testing. Mixon said he thinks the WMEL knew bad news was coming, and wanted to protect their customers before the full results of the test came out.

"They are proactively addressing it, not like the governor, who's saying 'Oh, I'll drink that water.' Well one glass isn't going to hurt you, but  if he drank it three times a day, took baths in it and ate and water in it. He's likely to have serious health problems," said Mixon.

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