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Sister of Amara Strande, who fought to ban PFAS, continues her mission

WCCO Investigates: PFAS Problem
WCCO Investigates: PFAS Problem 04:40

COTTAGE GROVE, Minn. — Minnesota has the strongest PFAS prevention laws in the country. The pollution control agency says the state's unique history with "forever chemicals" dates all the way back to at least 1947, when 3M began PFAS operations in Cottage Grove.

Last year, Minnesota lawmakers passed new protections after a young woman testified about contamination in her community just before she died. Her sister is now carrying on the fight to protect other families. 

Nora Strande's family lives life with one member missing.

"My sister Amara Strande was diagnosed with liver cancer at 15," explained Nora Strande.

Amara Strande's family thinks drinking water contaminated by forever chemicals contributed to that cancer. The rare liver cancer ravaged her body, and didn't didn't respond to chemo or radiation. In all, Amara Strande had over 20 surgeries.

Derek Lowen went to the same high school as Amara Strande: Tartan High School in Oakdale.

"It was a brain tumor about the size of a baseball," Lowen said. "My tumor could have killed me."

Lowen, who was diagnosed his freshman year of high school, was in a different graduating class than Amara Strande, but they were in the same social group.

"I almost immediately realized oh, theres a bunch of people sick around me," Lowen said. 

"They called them the cancer kids," said Nora Strande. "It was a clique. It was their own group."

A 2018 Minnesota Department of Health report shows slightly higher levels of childhood cancer in Oakdale when compared to the rest of the state, but did not find a strong environmental concern.

"We used to joke and say we had Teflon coated stomaches," said Lowen.

He grew up inside the 3M forever chemical pollution plume. Now he thinks drinking PFAS-contaminated water contributed to his benign brain tumor. 

"Our well was definitely contaminated. I lived a mile and a half from the dump site," he said.

He shared his story with the Minnesota legislature alongside people like Amara Strande.

Amara Strande spent the end of her life at the Minnesota capitol, testifying to pass laws limiting forever chemicals. She died a week before the law was passed.

"They titled that law Amara's Law, after her," said Nora Strande. 

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Amara Strande testifies at Minnesota capitol. Strande Family

Amara's Law ends all avoidable PFAS use in Minnesota by 2032. The first stage kicks in January 2025, when intentionally added PFAS will be banned from 11 categories of products like cookware, carpets, kids' toys and cosmetics. 

By 2026, companies will have to report intentionally added PFAS in all products. Thirty states have moved to limit PFAS in some way, but Minnesota's laws are now the most comprehensive in the nation.

"Minnesota is in a unique spot, and it is because we have had a manufacturer of PFAS here in Minnesota that has led to our work to start and be the first in the nation to really address it," said Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Assistant Commissioner Kirk Koudelka. 

The MPCA says PFAS pollution is a statewide problem. There's a slew of cities with too much PFAS in drinking water, according to newly lowered EPA limits.

The MPCA says state agencies detected PFAS in the drinking water of 42% of communities, and in 98% of closed landfills. 

Experts stress source reduction is key as costs to communities mount. 

Amara Strande's family will continue the fight to help other Minnesotans. 

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