A premiere screening of a documentary called “No Defense” by Pulitzer Prize winning reporter Sara Ganim is planned for 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19. It will be shown at the Michigan Theatre at 603 E. Liberty St., Ann Arbor.
“No Defense: The United States Government’s War on Water” centers around the stories of people that live on or near Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, and drank water poisoned with PFAS chemicals – water that still flows from the former base today, contaminating the surrounding town, lake and the people who live there.
This documentary takes a hard look at why the U.S. EPA has failed to regulate PFAS in drinking water, or forced the cleanup of contaminated sites.
A discussion panel will directly follow the screening.
Also, on Thursday, Feb. 20, from 8:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., a symposium is planned regarding the links between Michigan’s PBB crisis in the 1970s and the parallels with PFAS today. The event will be held at the University of Michigan. The keynote speaker will be Linda Birnbaum, PhD, DABT, ATS (former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program). Presentations will include Michele Marcus, PhD, Jane Keon (Pine River Superfund Citizen Task Force), Francis Spaniola (former Michigan State Representative), Tony Spaniola, JD (creator Michigan Cancer Registry), Courtney Carignan, PhD, (Michigan State University) and Monica Lewis-Patrick (President/CEO, River Network; We The People of Detroit).
Registration (free) for the symposium is required. Please visit https://events.umich.edu/event/68807 for further information.
