John Mullaney

Toxic Water John Mullaney

Cancer-related deaths were on the rise in Clifton, North Carolina, and nobody knew why that was until Ralph Pierce decided to look for answers. Four of his closest friends had recently died from the disease and Pierce wasn't convinced their deaths were due to natural causes. Instead, he suspected it was because their well water had been contaminated by the local oil and gas drilling operations. Pierce collected water samples from his friends' homes and had them tested by the EPA, which discovered the presence of toxic chemicals that are commonly used by oil and gas companies in their drilling operations. It's a discovery that leads EPA Assistant Director Chris Wilkins to launch an investigation to determine if other water wells in Clifton are also contaminated and if it's related to the local drilling activity. Subsequent tests confirm that the contamination is widespread, which causes Wilkins to declare a water crisis in the town and recommend that his agency take immediate corrective action. But that's before he learns that EPA Director Gerald Waltham is good friends with the owner of the company that's doing the drilling. Ignoring Waltham's directive to shut down the investigation, Wilkins scrambles to craft a solution that will solve Clifton's water crisis before anyone else dies from drinking contaminated water.