Last week, the Associated Press reported that cancer-causing chemicals are entering Alabama waterways from carpet mills in Georgia. That should concern every Alabamian. Families should not have to worry about whether the water they swim in, fish in, and drink is safe.
As a mother who raised my son in Madison County, I share the concern about protecting our children’s health. We can choose what groceries to buy, but we cannot choose whether the water coming from our tap is safe.
That is why I opposed legislation that would make it harder for the Alabama Department of Environmental Management to investigate potentially dangerous chemicals in our water and air. During debate on that bill, I offered a simple amendment to ensure carcinogens and chemicals linked to cancer could be properly investigated and regulated.
I know the impact of cancer on a family. Like many of you, this issue is personal to me as I lost my mother and younger brother to cancer. Anyone who has watched a loved one battle cancer understands how helpless and heartbreaking it can be. Elected officials should do everything within their power to reduce preventable environmental risks whenever credible concerns are raised.
The reality is, cancer prevention begins long before a diagnosis. It begins in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the communities we build for our children.
I hear from parents in North Alabama who are paying close attention to what affects their children’s long-term health. They are asking reasonable questions about chemicals in food, water, and the environment.
For families in House District 10, this is especially close to home. The Tennessee River borders the southern part of our district, and residents deserve to know that the water they fish in and recreate on is safe. All they want is for leaders to take their concerns seriously, not make investigations and mitigation more difficult.
Our children only have one childhood. We owe them cleaner water, healthier communities, and leaders willing to prioritize prevention.
Protecting clean drinking water should not be a controversial issue. It is basic common sense. Alabamians understand that healthy families and a strong economy go hand in hand. We should absolutely support jobs and economic growth, but we cannot do so at the risk of harming families with unsafe waterways.
When credible concerns emerge about cancer causing chemicals entering Alabama waters, we should always err on the side of protecting families.
I will continue to support policies that protect Alabama families and waterways while ensuring our state remains a place where parents feel safe raising their children.
Clean water should never be a luxury. It should be a promise we make to the next generation.