Rachel Frazin — Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America - with Miranda Willson

This is the shocking true-life story of how PFAS--a set of toxic chemicals most people have never heard of--poisoned the entire country. Based on original, shoe-leather reporting in four highly contaminated towns and damning documents from the polluters' own files, Poisoning the Well  traces an ugly history of corporate greed and devastation of human lives.We learn that PFAS, the 'forever chemicals' found in everyday products, from cooking pans to mascara, are coursing through the veins of 97% of Americans. We witness the pain of families who lost sisters and daughters, cousins and neighbors, after PFAS leached into their drinking water. We discover evidence that the makers of forever chemicals may have known for decades about the deadly risks of their products--because their own scientists have been documenting these dangers since the 1960s. And we see the failure of our government, time after time, to provide basic protections to its citizens.It is impossible to read this searing exposé without being infuriated by the recklessness of corporate America. But readers will also be awed by the spirit of ordinary people who, while fighting for their own lives, took it upon themselves to fix a broken regulatory system. Heart-wrenching and maddening, stirring and uplifting, Poisoning the Well offers a unique window into the worst and best of human nature. It is essential reading for anyone concerned about the unfettered power of industry and the invisible threat it poses to the health of the nation--and to each of us.PURCHASE BOOK HERE: https://politics-prose.com/book/9781642833324?ic_referral=9YeadO8cZmS2IiipC5SAqhQfiop3SN6qvGaYDaMNkuYwM0dMnbTVsUuAmemcIDTW98jMM6RTASCDnsT6feNyhpHoRI4VFwEBbV1jPQGvNcEzFJ3PsuWS5egrjx0tDEjiEVTzpgRachel Frazin covers energy and environment policy for The Hill: that’s everything from climate change to gasoline prices to toxic chemicals to renewable and fossil energy. She is originally from South Florida, and she studied journalism and political science at (the very cold) Northwestern University. Previously, her work has appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Daily Beast, the Tampa Bay Times, and The Palm Beach Post.Frazin is in conversation with Miranda Willson, an environment reporter at E&E News, with a focus on water pollution, flooding and the EPA. She previously reported on energy policy and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Prior to joining E&E News in 2020, she worked as a local reporter in Las Vegas. She graduated from Tufts University in 2017 with a degree in environmental studies and urban planning.*recorded 5/2/2025