Franklin, IN Mom Fights To Ban Toxic Chemical

A mother in Franklin, Indiana, has fought to ban a toxic chemical that allegedly caused her daughter’s rare brain tumor.

Kari Rhinehart’s daughter Emma was diagnosed with a brain tumor nearly a decade ago. She wasn’t the only one. There appeared to be a cluster of children diagnosed with cancer in the Franklin and Martinsville communities. In 2018, investigations lead to the source of the problem, which was an old industrial site that had polluted the groundwater. After the source was determined, a petition was brought to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up the contaminated site and to ban the toxic chemical TCE, which is commonly used in cleaning products, degreasers, brake cleaners and tire repair sealants.

Through unrelenting activism, Kari finally got the EPA to ban TCE, citing is known cancer-causing capabilities and the fact that there are many safer alternatives available.

This is what activism looks like. As the saying goes, don’t mess with mama bears.